Baml

BAML is the acronym commonly used for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the corporate and investment banking division of Bank of America. The name arose from Bank of America’s 2008 acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. during the financial crisis; the merger was announced in September 2008 and substantially completed in 2009, creating a combined bank with a global investment banking and markets franchise.

BAML provides a range of services to corporate, government, and institutional clients. Its activities include investment banking advisory for mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt underwriting, capital markets execution, sales and trading across asset classes, and related research and risk-management solutions. The division operates on a global scale, with offices in major financial centers in North America, Europe, and Asia, and it supports clients through wholesale and institutional channels rather than retail consumer banking.

Branding and corporate structure have evolved since the merger. In the 2010s, the combined entity widely used Bank of America Merrill Lynch as the brand for its corporate and investment banking activities. In subsequent years, Bank of America increasingly emphasized the Bank of America brand across most business lines, while Merrill Lynch continued to be used as a brand for wealth management and private client services in many markets. Despite branding changes, the BAML acronym remained a common shorthand in financial markets for the investment banking and markets operations associated with Bank of America.

See also: Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America Securities.