Dan Ives, one of Wall Street’s most prominent technology analysts, has left Wedbush Securities to co-found a new merchant banking firm, Yorkville Ives & Co., in partnership with Yorkville Securities.
The new entity will operate as a hybrid platform, combining traditional investment banking and equity research with institutional trading and principal investing capabilities.
This structure allows the firm to take direct equity stakes in companies it covers or advises, a model that distinguishes it from traditional sell-side research shops.
Ives, who served as head of equity research at Wedbush, built his reputation on high-conviction calls in the technology sector, particularly regarding artificial intelligence and mega-cap tech stocks.
His departure marks a significant shift in the sell-side research landscape, as one of the industry’s most visible voices moves into a principal-investing framework.
The launch comes as major US investment banks prepare to report second-quarter results, with many expecting record revenues driven by high-stakes capital markets activity.