Deborah Weinswig
Deborah Weinswig Citi
SECOND TEAM
Charles Grom JPMorgan
THIRD TEAM
Michael Exstein Credit Suisse
Deborah Weinswig of Citi claims the top spot for a fifth straight year. Weinswig, 38, seems to be “on a never-ending quest to learn something new about the companies under her coverage,” applauds one investor. In February the analyst, who ranks third in Retailing/Food & Drug Chains, reiterated her long-standing buy recommendation on Wal-Mart Stores, at $49.06, believing that cash-strapped consumers would drive up business for the Bentonville, Arkansas–based discount retailer. By mid-September the stock price had soared to $62.41, gaining 27.2 percent since Weinswig’s call, while the sector climbed just 2.4 percent. Charles Grom of JPMorgan Securities, who vaults from runner-up to second place, displays “an understanding that the consumer is a complicated persona,” according to one money manager. Valuation concerns prompted Grom to downgrade longtime favorite Costco Wholesale Corp. to neutral in July, at $71.82. Shares of the Issaquah, Washington–based big-box discounter slipped 3.2 percent, to $69.55, from Grom’s downgrade through mid-September. Michael Exstein of Credit Suisse repeats in third place. Exstein advised investors to buy Macy’s in July, at $15.49, reasoning that the Cincinnati-based department store will likely see an increase in business as its competitors close shops or go out of business. By mid-September the stock had soared 34.3 percent, to $20.81.
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