| | | Michael Weinstein | | J.P. Morgan | First-place appearances: 10 Total appearances: 16 Analyst debut: 1998 |
In seizing the No. 1 position for a tenth time, thanks to his seventh straight win this year, J.P. Morgan’s Michael Weinstein merits induction into the All-America Research Team Hall of Fame. The 43-year-old analyst expects his sector to perform in line with the broad market for the balance of the year, as it did for the first eight months, because valuation gains in the first half will be difficult to reproduce, he says. “Mike does extensive modeling and financial analysis of the companies,” reports one fan. “He has the best handle on the profitability of each product line and asks management teams the tough questions.” Weinstein’s preferred name is vascular-device maker C.R. Bard. He upgraded the stock from neutral to overweight in January, at $101.23, forecasting a two- to three-year growth-acceleration story, and restated that position in July, at $112.54. The Murray Hill, New Jersey–based manufacturer had reported better-than-expected second-quarter sales, at $760 million, and earnings per share of $1.42, which bested both consensus forecasts and management’s guidance. From the upgrade through August, the shares climbed 13.5 percent, to $114.87, eclipsing the sector’s 11 percent rise. — Leslie Kramer |
