Effective November 1, Merrill Lynch HSBC Canada Inc. will be renamed HSBC InvestDirect Inc. The renaming is just one step toward completing the reintegration of the direct investing channel into HSBC.

On January 1, 2004, HSBC InvestDirect will become a division of HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc.

“Although the name of the company and the look and feel of our web site will be changing, the range of self-directed investment services currently available to our clients will remain the same,” said Simon Edwards, president and CEO of Merrill Lynch HSBC Canada Inc. and HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., said in a news release.

“Going forward we are committed to upgrading our range of services in order to make our clients’ investing experience even more rewarding,” he added.