Keefe Bruyette & Woods, priced its IPO this week, and the early (very)aftermarket activity was fairly strong. It trades under the ticker symbol KBW. The 430-employee investment bank has a strong niche--financial services--and seems poised to follow in the footsteps of other boutiques that have fared well. Evercore is a good example. But success is far from guaranteed. The financial services industry has certainly generated its fair share of deals. And most expect a bit more consolidation, especially among regional players. That bodes well. Then again, a lot of people felt really good about the Lazard offering as well.

For more on the offering:
- Here's an article from TheStreet.com