HilltopSecurities Expands Debt Capital Markets, Adds High Yield Housing Origination

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hilltop Securities Inc. (HilltopSecurities) announced today that Stephen Coma has joined the firm as managing director, Debt Capital Markets. Coma will lead the firm’s High Yield Housing Origination group—the newest extension of its Debt Capital Markets division.

Coma will oversee four new additions to HilltopSecurities’ High Yield Housing Origination group, including Managing Director Adriane Evans, Director Michelle Le, Assistant Vice President David Prieto, and Analyst Wei Fan. Coma, Le, Prieto, and Fan will serve clients from HilltopSecurities’ Charlotte, North Carolina, office and Evans will operate from Sarasota, Florida. The group reports to Mike Bartolotta, senior managing director and head of Dept Capital Markets.

“We’re excited to welcome Steve, Adriane, Michelle, David, and Wei to the firm,” said HilltopSecurities President and CEO Brad Winges. “We’ve been working to expand the value our Debt Capital Markets division brings to public and private sector clients. Under Steve’s leadership, our new High Yield Housing Origination group better positions HilltopSecurities to continue growing as a leading municipal investment bank.”

Coma and the new group will coordinate and structure high yield housing transactions for a broad range of clients nationwide.

“In this day and age, high yield bond issuance is a very relationship-driven business,” said Bartolotta. “Steve and his team understand the complexities of this sector and will play a pivotal role in helping HilltopSecurities expand in each market across the country.”

About Stephen Coma

Coma joined HilltopSecurities after 15 years with BB&T Capital Markets, now Truist Securities. There, he spearheaded the creation of their Housing and Specialty Finance Group as managing director and group head. He brings more than 25 years of experience in structured finance to his role. He is a graduate of Princeton University and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

About Adriane Evans

Before joining HilltopSecurities, Evans spent nine years with BB&T Capital Markets. While there, she held senior-level leadership roles including managing director and senior vice president of Debt Capital Markets. Prior to joining BB&T Capital Markets, she held senior vice president roles at Stern Brothers and Ziegler. In total, Evans has more than 30 years of experience in fixed income. She received bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Florida State University.

About Michelle Le

Le has more than 15 years of experience in developing financing structures. Most recently she served as senior vice president at BB&T Capital Markets, where she implemented the new business line of housing and specialty finance in the high yield tax-exempt space. She earned a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Duke University.

About David Prieto

Prieto joined HilltopSecurities from his role at BB&T Capital Markets as a housing and specialty finance investment banking assistant vice president, where he managed the structuring of high yield bond transactions. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and investments from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prieto is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

About Wei Fan

Fan served as an investment banking analyst at BB&T Capital Markets before he joined HilltopSecurities. He has held intern positions in investment banking at Moelis & Company and China Galaxy Securities. He earned a bachelor of science in economics with a concentration in finance from Duke University.

About Hilltop Securities Inc.

Hilltop Securities Inc. delivers forthright advice and tailored solutions to municipal issuers, institutions, broker-dealers, and individuals. The full-service investment bank and registered investment adviser is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with offices across the United States. Areas of focus include public finance; municipal and taxable fixed income underwriting, sales, and trading; retail brokerage services; securities clearing; structured finance; and securities lending. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTH), HilltopSecurities’ affiliates include Hilltop Securities Independent Network Inc., PlainsCapital Bank, and PrimeLending. Learn more at www.HilltopSecurities.com. Member: NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.