Robert Koort Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Robert Koort of Goldman, Sachs & Co. advances from runner-up to the third team. “In a business where longevity is typically viewed through a consensus lens, Bob is willing to take the intellectual risk to be a contrarian,” notes one admiring investor. The Houston-based analyst upgraded Monsanto Co., a seed-and-crop chemicals company headquartered in St. Louis, to buy in June, at $48.48. His rationale? A series of disappointing events for the company, including mixed reviews of its new Roundup Ready Corn 2 soybean product, had left the stock undervalued relative to its peers, especially in light of an anticipated rally in grain prices. The stock had sprouted gains of 8.6 percent by late August, rising to $52.65.
