James Crandell Barclays Capital
James Crandell of Barclays Capital, who spent the past four years at No. 1, slips to second place but continues to impress investors with his long-term perspective. “He looks out a couple years and tells you where the stock is going and why or why not to own the name,” explains one buy-side enthusiast. In July, Crandell turned bullish, on the belief that an international exploration-and-production spending recovery was under way, soon-to-be announced second-quarter earnings would be better than expected, and valuations were attractive. Among the stocks he upgraded to buy were Cameron International Corp. of Houston, which soared 14.2 percent through August; Houston-based Oceaneering International, up 13.4 percent; and Switzerland’s Weatherford International, up 12.3 percent.