Nancy Lazar ISI Group
First-teamer Ed Hyman’s ISI Group colleague Nancy Lazar repeats at No. 2. Last October she explained that a 68 percent rally in industrial-machinery shares since March could be attributed to a small bounce in nondefense capital-goods orders (which indicated the start of an equipment-replacement cycle) combined with a rise in foreign demand. Lazar predicted further stock appreciation, although at a much slower pace. By the end of August, the sector had advanced an additional 9.2 percent. “Nancy is helpful for focusing on cyclical drivers and explaining macro events,” avers one benefactor.