Robert Ohmes | First TeamRobert Ohmes BofA Second Team Robert Drbul, Lehman Third Team Jeffrey Edelman, UBS Runners-Up Virginia Genereux, Merrill Lynch; Margaret Mager, Goldman Sachs |
| Clients rave over repeat winner Robert Ohmes, 38, for his ability to “ride a model or management team he likes with patience,” says one portfolio manager. In March 2006 the Banc of America Securities researcher initiated coverage of Under Armour with a buy recommendation, at $27.42, based on revenue upside from new outerwear initiatives and European store growth. By mid-September 2007 shares of the Baltimore-based retailer had risen to $62.20, a gain of 126.8 percent, compared with the sector’s 26.5 percent gain over the same period. “It’s as if he thinks every dollar I invest is one of his own,” says one grateful client. Holding in second place is Lehman Brothers’ Robert Drbul, who offers “unparalleled access to management,” in the words of one investor. Clients continue to praise Drbul’s long-standing bullishness on Coach, the New York–based manufacturer of women’s handbags and other accessories, first recommended back in November 2001 and highlighted repeatedly since. Drbul continues to recommend the company for its excellent management, global brand positioning and expansion into jewelry and fragrances. For the 12 months ended mid-September, the stock outperformed the sector by 18.0 percentage points. Jeffrey Edelman of UBS is No. 3 for a third straight year. Thirty-plus years covering the retail supply chain provide Edelman with “the ability to interpret how one company’s actions might affect others,” explains one client. After a visit to China last year, Edelman impressed investors with a series of reports that explained how that country’s diminishing deflation was leaving its manufacturers with a smaller gross-margin cushion, lessening their competitive advantage over other countries’ manufacturers. | |
