Robin Farley | Robin Farley UBS SECOND TEAM Timothy Conder Wachovia THIRD TEAM Felicia Kantor Hendrix Barclays |
For a seventh straight year, Robin Farley of UBS lands in the No. 1 spot. “She is phenomenal on the cruise lines,” says one enthusiastic backer. Higher fuel costs and a decline in consumer spending prompted Farley, 38, to repeatedly highlight her negative stance on Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises, first downgraded to neutral in 2006. In the 12 months ended mid-September, the stock was off 21.8 percent. In February, Farley downgraded MGM Mirage to neutral, at $67.93, on valuation. By mid-September shares of the Las Vegas–based resort operator had plunged 53.3 percent, to $31.72. Timothy Conder, with Wachovia Securities since its October 2007 acquisition of A.G. Edwards, vaults from runner-up to second place. The St. Louis–based analyst is “really good on client service and requests,” reports one supporter. Among Conder’s top recommendations of the past year: a November outperform rating on Pawtucket, Rhode Island, game maker Hasbro, on rising demand for home-based entertainment in recessionary times. The stock zoomed from $26.52 up to $37.88 in mid-September, a gain of 42.8 percent that outdistanced the sector by 50.6 percentage points. “That was a good call on Hasbro,” says one appreciative buy-sider. It’s three consecutive years in third place for Felicia Kantor Hendrix, at Barclays Capital since its parent acquired Lehman Brothers last month. “She’s got a good perspective on where companies are in the cycle,” asserts one money manager. Hendrix downgraded Harley-Davidson to neutral last October, owing to slowing sales and concerns about the strength of the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer’s loan portfolio. “She got negative on that stock relatively early,” says one backer. The stock has since fallen 17.0 percent, through mid-September.
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