Hynes retired from Fidelity Capital and from COLT Telecom in 1999.

Mr. Curvey, 61, who formerly served as president of Fidelity Capital, the company's venture-capital unit, said his appointment did not signal a shift in direction.

Nor does the article mention that Worth itself is owned by Fidelity Capital, also a subsidiary of FMR.

His father is a managing director at Fidelity Capital, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments in Boston.

Mr. Breazzano was until yesterday the manager of the $2.3 billion Fidelity Capital and Income Fund, a substantial investor in the distressed securities market.

In 2008, Fidelity Capital purchased Lanoga Corporation, which was, at the time, the nation's third largest professional building materials dealer.

Fidelity Capital has been joined in its acquisitions by members of the Harte family, which has owned newspapers for three generations.

Their profit potential is sufficient to attract a venture-capital company like Fidelity Capital.

Mr. Elfers, who is one of five managing directors of Fidelity Capital, declined to comment on possible future acquisitions.

Next Monday, Fidelity Capital will take buy and sell orders for all of the 950 Nasdaq-listed stocks currently being handled by Wagner Stott.