Michael Rehaut J.P. Morgan
Down one notch to second place, after two years on top, is J.P. Morgan’s Michael Rehaut. Investors commend him for his annual Private Builder/Private Equity conferences, along with informative on-site visits to homebuilders. “I really like the field trips, especially to the private companies — you’re able to have more open and insightful conversations and get a more balanced view of the environment,” observes one buy-side enthusiast. Rehaut’s winning picks include a July 2009 upgrade from neutral to overweight of Owens Corning, dubbing shares of the Toledo, Ohio–based fiberglass maker a bargain at $12.91. He also believed the market was overlooking the company’s longer-term earnings potential. By late August 2010 the stock had catapulted to $27.20, a mind-boggling 110.7 percent gain that trounced the sector by 88.3 percentage points.
