The buy side says: “David is the cream of the Wall Street crop!”
It’s ten straight years on top for David Raso, 40. The ISI Group analyst earns points for sticking with a buy on Deere & Co. since he reinitiated coverage in December 2008, at $38.69, citing the Moline, Illinois–based tractor maker’s strong balance sheet. Through August 2010 the stock soared to $63.27, advancing 48.2 percent in the preceding 12 months alone while the sector gained just 25.5 percent. In July, Raso upgraded United Rentals from hold to buy, at $8.83, on valuation and rising demand for the Greenwich, Connecticut–based rental company’s construction equipment. The stock had leapt 27.4 percent, to $11.25, by the end of the following month. “David’s fieldwork gives him an information edge over his peers,” observes one investor.
