CHICAGO, February 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Direct market access to Nordic equities markets and specialist execution now available through Townsend's RealTick execution management system (EMS)

Townsend Analytics (http://www.townsendanalytics.com), a leading provider of multi-broker, multi-asset, multi-region, and multi-route electronic trading solutions for the global capital markets, has added Nordic investment bank SEB (Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken) to its international multi-broker network.

Users of Townsend's broker-neutral RealTick(R) (http://www.realtick.com) EMS can now route DMA and worked orders through SEB's market-maker and specialist unit SEB Enskilda Equities, taking advantage of its regional expertise in the Nordic markets. Consistently ranked as the top investment bank in Scandinavia, SEB also offers access to equity exchanges and ATSs in Europe and the U.S.

"SEB is pleased to further strengthen its DMA & algorithmic trading offering with such a reliable and high-performance product as RealTick," states Daniel Wendin, Electronic Trading Services at SEB. "This partnership benefits our current buy-side customers -- and also allows us to offer our local expertise to RealTick's substantial global user base," he adds.

Rustam Lam, Executive Director for Townsend Analytics, comments: "Adding such a dominant regional force as SEB Enskilda Equities to our connectivity network underlines our commitment to including specialists with local expertise as well as tier-one brokers with global reach. Our ongoing strategy is to provide our users with the greatest possible choice of trading venues and the tools they need for accessing global liquidity."

SEB Enskilda Equities joins other recent additions to Townsend's global multi-broker network, including BNY ConvergEx, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Instinet, Merrill Lynch and UBS. Townsend's RealTick platform aggregates multiple brokers, destinations and products onto a single-screen format. All are accessible from customizable menus allowing for ease of use and fast electronic order routing.

About RealTick

RealTick, created by Townsend Analytics, is the electronic trading industry's premier multi-asset, multi-broker, and multi-route direct-access trading platform. RealTick delivers real-time market data, news and analytics; sophisticated trading tools; unrivaled access to brokers, exchanges and ECNs; and risk management tools to institutions, broker-dealers and individual investors. RealTick's advanced technical design is supported by state-of-the-art data centers and a redundant network for market data and orders. For more information, visit http://www.realtick.com.

- RealTick is a registered trademark of Townsend Analytics, Ltd.

About Townsend Analytics

Townsend Analytics has been changing the way the world trades since 1985. The Chicago-based company created many technology innovations that are now considered standards in the financial services industry. These include the first real-time financial software under Microsoft Windows(R); the first product to provide real-time streaming data over the Internet; the first integrated solution for NASDAQ trading rooms; and the first Windows-based direct-access trading solution. Townsend Analytics also developed Archipelago and the Archipelago Exchange, the nation's first all-electronic, fully open exchange. The firm has engineered direct-access solutions for money managers, asset managers, hedge funds and mutual funds worldwide. The firm's four main lines of business include Trading Services, Content Services, Exchange Services, and Risk Management Services. Townsend Analytics, Ltd. is a wholly owned, independently-operated subsidiary of Lehman Brothers. For more information, visit http://www.taltrade.com.

About SEB

SEB is a North European financial group serving some 400,000 corporate customers and institutions and five million private individuals. SEB has a local presence in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Germany, the Ukraine and Russia, and a global presence through its international network in another ten countries. On 30 September 2007, the Group's total assets amounted to SEK 2,149bn while its assets under management totalled SEK 1,385bn. The Group has about 20,000 employees. Read more about SEB at http://www.sebgroup.com.

SEB Enskilda Equities, the specialist unit for stock brokerage and research, also acts as a market maker for equities-related derivatives in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The unit has the largest market share in the Nordic region, and offers multi asset classes, and membership on the major cash and derivatives markets. One of its strengths is the strong focus on the Nordic domestic markets providing a well defined niche. SEB Enskilda Equities is extremely proud to be ranked first among investment banks in the Nordic region, year after year.

Web site: http://www.taltrade.com http://www.sebgroup.com http://www.realtick.com

Anne Aldrich, +1-312-787-1642, annea1@covad.net, for Townsend Analytics; or Todd Swearingen of Townsend Analytics, +1-312-442-8656, tswearingen@taltrade.com; or Daniel Wendin, Electronic Trading Services, +46-8-5062-33-70, or Elisabeth Lennhede, Press officer, +46-70-763-99-16, both of SEB