THIRD TEAM
Robert Koort Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Houston-based Robert Koort of Goldman, Sachs & Co. repeats at third. Hailed for having “great insights before other analysts get there,” in the words of one money manager, Koort initiated coverage on Huntsman Corp. in May 2010 with a contrarian buy, at $9.54, judging the Salt Lake City–based specialty-chemicals maker unfairly punished for jettisoning its commodities-chemicals operations. By late August 2011 the stock had catapulted 37.4 percent, to $13.11, and bested the sector by 11.2 percentage points. In June 2010 he upgraded Monsanto Co. from neutral to buy, at $47.65, on valuation. Shares of the St. Louis–based seed supplier had grown 44.7 percent, to $68.93, by the end of August 2011.