Top Sell-Side Security Analysts and Special Methods - 2006

Avondale Partners' Frank Gristina

Internet Software and Services, Internet & Catalog Retail

Gristina sees a promising future for online retailing: "When companies provide clear value propositions in terms of price, convenience and quality, consumers are more willing to shop online for both hard goods and perishables." He looks for companies that offer proprietary products and services, such as online video rental service NetFlix (nasdaq: NFLX ) and online pet pharmacy PetMed Express (nasdaq: PETS ), stocks that Gristina had as buys last year. They rose 129% and 86%, respectively.

Petrie Parkman's Joseph Magner

Oil,Gas and Consumable Fuels

In 2006, Magner is focusing upon energy companies with double-digit production growth, attractive valuation metrics and healthy free cash flow (discretionary cash flow minus capital expenditures). He also strongly favors companies that do not depend solely upon rising commodity prices (Questar is increasing drilling density to recover a larger percentage of gas). “Costs are going up, and prices can be flat year-to-year,” Magner explains. “What is important is how much money they can invest and get out of the ground and then reinvest to continue to grow net asset value.”

First Analysis' Frank Sparacino

Software

It's the people, not the technology, that are important to Frank Sparacino with First Analysis of Chicago. "Products and technologies are important for software companies, but as markets tend to mature, they become secondary in importance," he says.

J.P Morgan's Harry Curtis

Hotels and Leisure, Real Estate


"If you can’t get the numbers right, you can’t get the stock right,” says J.P. Morgan’s Harry Curtis.





http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/30/starmine-analysts-stocks-cz_jy_0502gristina_06topanalysts.html

http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/30/starmine-analysts-stocks-cx_ck_0502sparacino_06topanalysts.html

http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/30/starmine-analysts-stocks-cx_sc_0502curtis_06topanalysts.html

http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/01/06topanalysts_best-stock-pickers-earnings-estimators_land.html

http://excellence.thomsonreuters.com/award/starmine  (Information on the best analysts for many years and for many countries is available)

Top Sell-Side Security Analysts and Special Methods - 2005

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