Technology: Computer Services & IT Consulting 2008 Best Analysts

Roderick Bourgeois

Sanford C. Bernstein

SECOND TEAM

Adam Frisch UBS

THIRD TEAM

Tien-Tsin Huang ­ JPMorgan

Roderick Bourgeois, in first place for a third straight year, “simply outworks his competition,” insists one ­money man­ager. The 39-year-old Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst has maintained a yearlong outperform rating on long-­standing favorite Accenture, a Bermuda-­based information technology consulting firm, contending that “the IT consulting market is much less sensitive to the econ­omy than com­monly feared.” Year-to-date through mid-­September, Accenture’s shares outpaced the sector by 4.8 percentage points. In November, Bourgeois issued a contrarian upgrade of Elec­tronic ­Data Systems Corp., at $19.37, on valuation. In May, Hewlett-­Packard Co. announced that it would acquire the ­Plano, ­Texas–based computer ser­vices provider for $25 a share. The deal closed in August. In second place for a third consecutive year is ­Adam Frisch of UBS, whose “understanding of the payment-­processing sector is especially distinguishing,” says one buy-side ­backer. Case in point: Frisch’s recommendation of Purchase, New York–based Master­Card in May 2007, at $134.14, on strong revenue growth coupled with cost-­cutting initiatives. By mid-­September 2008 the stock had skyrocketed to $223.82, a gain of 66.9 percent that outperformed the sector by 71.4 percentage points. Tien-­Tsin Huang of ­JPMorgan Securities debuts in third place. “He really digs in deep yet still finds time for strong personal ser­vice,” marvels one investor. Huang down­graded Exl­Service Holdings, a New York–headquartered processor of mortgage applications and insurance claims, to sell in January, at $19.71, citing concerns about the com­pany’s exposure to weakening financial ser­vices sectors. The share price had plunged 42.4 percent, to $11.36, by mid-­September.

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