Meredith Whitney buys a broker-dealer

Meredith Whitney Advisory Group LLC has announced that it has wrapped up its purchase of Seegal Benson Leucadia Securities LLC, a New York-based broker dealer. The unit, which has been renamed Meredith Whitney Securities LLC, will provide financial advisory and research services initially. But Ms. Whitney, chief executive, also plans to apply to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. of Washington and New York to expand its services, the New York firm said in a statement. The additional services will include sales and trading, syndicate participation and other broker-dealer activities. “This acquisition will broaden the scope of our services and capabilities to our clients greatly, and we look forward to this new addition to the platform,” Ms. Whitney said in the statement. Founded in February 2009, the former Meredith Whitney Advisory Group is an investment research firm covering a range of financial companies.