Merrill Lynch leads the field, but most other big underwriters are also involved.

Very few of the big underwriters are not public.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers.

Merrill Lynch was the biggest underwriter for the quarter.

The biggest underwriter for the third straight year was Merrill Lynch & Company.

That is unusual; in most big offerings, retail customers of the biggest underwriters get at least some allocation of shares.

The biggest underwriter for the quarter was Merrill, the perennial leader since 1988.

Salomon Brothers Inc. hung on to its position as the biggest underwriter, but just barely.

Merrill Lynch one of the biggest underwriters, also declined to comment.

It has generally been the biggest American underwriter of both debt and equity securities in recent quarters.