Robert Willoughby BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research
Down one notch to second place is Robert Willoughby, who provides “superhumanly fast and nuanced updates on a very wide universe,” marvels one backer. The BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research analyst added Patterson Cos. to his list of top picks in July 2009, at $21.23, making the case that the St. Paul, Minnesota–based dental-products distributor was poised for strong growth. The stock surged 19 percent, to $25.27, through August 2010.