James Crandell | James Crandell Barclays SECOND TEAM Ole Slorer Morgan Stanley THIRD TEAM Michael LaMotte JPMorgan RUNNERS-UP Alan Laws Merrill Lynch |
Clients return James Crandell, 55, to first place for a third straight year, praising his “long experience” and “great insight.” In December, Crandell urged investors to buy B.J. Services Co., at $24.44, on rising demand. Shares of the Houston-based oil-field-services provider had jumped 37.0 percent by late June, to $33.49, before being pummeled by falling oil prices and sinking to $22.58 by mid-September. Crandell, who moved to Barclays Capital after its parent acquired Lehman Brothers last month, remains bullish. “He’s one of the hardest-working oil services analysts in the game,” says one booster. Ole Slorer of Morgan Stanley, who repeats in second place, “adds a global perspective that his competitors don’t have,” says one buy-sider. In June 2007, Slorer cited Smith International, a Houston company that manufactures drilling equipment components, as a likely beneficiary of rising demand for oil exploration services. The stock had soared 48.8 percent by late July 2008 before dropping, but it was still up 11.1 percent through mid-September. “A very thoughtful and disciplined analyst” is how one portfolio manager describes Michael LaMotte of JPMorgan Securities, who advances from runner-up to third place. In January, LaMotte named Halliburton Co. his top pick of the year, citing rising profits. The stock had climbed 42.8 percent through June before giving up those gains and more as oil prices plunged. Shares of the Houston-based oil-field equipment manufacturer were down 1.0 percent year-to-date through mid-September, but LaMotte stands firm in his recommendation.
