second team Peter Ward Barclays
third team Timna Tanners UBS
Michael Gambardella captures first place for a second straight year. “He really understands the investor perspective,” observes one money manager. The 52-year-old J.P. Morgan analyst initiated coverage of Thompson Creek Metals Co. with an overweight call in April, at $5.49, on the belief that the Toronto-based manufacturer of molybdenum, an alloy used to strengthen steel, stood poised to gain from rising demand. It sure did. By late August the stock had rocketed 109.5 percent, to $11.50, and outpaced the sector by a stunning 87.7 percentage points. “That was a great call,” cheers one satisfied client.
Peter Ward of Barclays Capital, who holds steady in second place, impresses clients with what one calls “well-timed recommendations.” One example: Ward upgraded Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold to buy in November, at $23.99, citing the Phoenix-based copper mining company’s quality reserves, attractive growth profile and favorable supply-and-demand fundamentals. By August 31 the share price had catapulted to $62.98.
Debuting in third place is Timna Tanners of UBS. In March, Tanners upgraded Nucor Corp. to buy, saying a recent sell-off had left the shares a bargain at $31.58. Nucor, a steel mill company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, had strong cash reserves and a positive track record, she told clients. When the stock hit $42.47 in April, Tanners downgraded it to neutral, on valuation. The stock closed at $44.54 at the end of August.
