BearXplorer™ Portfolio Analytics Tool Named Buy Side Innovation of the Year

Business Wire, June 4, 2007

NEW YORK -- The Banker magazine, a Financial Times publication, named BearXplorer[TM] the Buy Side Innovation of the year. Judged by a panel of distinguished industry leaders, The Banker Technology Awards reviewed over 300 industry solutions and recognized the unique and powerful ability of BearXplorer to identify how global economic shifts are likely to impact portfolios. Within the publication, The Banker distinguished BearXplorer as one of the "technologies that banks should be watching carefully."

BearXplorer is a patented, innovative tool which arms our clients with a wealth of market insight to help them make the best investment decisions," said Kay Booth, president of BearXplorer. "We're extremely pleased that The Banker has recognized the unique contribution BearXplorer brings to our clients' investment strategy."

BearXplorer offers managers the ability to understand their portfolio's exposure to a set of over 60 macroeconomic factors, screen them against benchmarks, analyze potential scenarios, forecast performance based on standard or custom estimates, and identify divergence between expected short-term movements and long-term trends.

"This award honors BearXplorer for redefining how portfolio managers examine the impact of global economic shifts on their portfolio," said John Williamson, general manager of BearXplorer. "With the BearXplorer models, money managers now can intuitively understand and proactively manage their portfolio against movements in commodities, currencies, interest rates and macroeconomic factors."

The BearXplorer customizable tools include AlphaXplorer[TM], BetaXplorer[TM], DeltaXplorer[TM] and TrendsXplorer[TM]. AlphaXplorer uses a patented modeling engine to deliver tailored performance forecasts and highlight the top economic drivers at both a portfolio and individual security level. Through the use of a heat map, BetaXplorer offers a unique, one page view of a portfolio's exposure to a variety of macroeconomic inputs. DeltaXplorer further compares a portfolio to custom-made benchmarks or those of major market indices. Finally, TrendsXplorer helps investors look for stocks based on their relationship to economic events, commodity prices, exchange rates or interest rate changes.

In 2006, BearXplorer was also named Best Risk Analytics Initiative of the Year at the 2nd Annual Financial Technology Awards hosted by Waters magazine.

About BearXplorer:

BearXplorer, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (NYSE: BSC), delivers a patented suite of tools designed to help institutional investors analyze portfolios by market or time frame across 14,000 securities, 26 countries, and over 60 macroeconomic factors. BearXplorer's powerful and proprietary database provides instant snapshots on how macroeconomic drivers, such as interest rates, commodity prices or currency fluctuations, could impact portfolios or individual securities. For additional information about BearXplorer, please visit the firm's website at www.BearXplorer.com.

About Bear Stearns:

Founded in 1923, The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (NYSE: BSC) is a leading financial services firm serving governments, corporations, institutions and individuals worldwide. The Company's core business lines include institutional equities, fixed income, investment banking, global clearing services, asset management, and private client services. Headquartered in New York City, the company has approximately 14,500 employees worldwide. For additional information about Bear Stearns, please visit the firm's web site at www.bearstearns.com.

About The Banker:

The Banker is a publication of Financial Times Business, a part of the Financial Times and Pearson Plc. Established in 1926, The Banker provides global financial intelligence to the international banking and finance community. Published monthly, each issue delivers news and opinion on the latest developments in both the retail and investment banking sectors. With regular software and technology updates, new product innovations, country profiles and expert market commentary from leading industry figures, The Banker is essential reading for all banking and finance professionals. (www.thebanker.com)