SECOND TEAM Ronald Barone UBS
Ronald Barone debuted on the All-America Research Team way back in 1975 and has appeared in the rankings every year since. The UBS analyst spent the past four years in the pole position; this year he slips to second place but retains a loyal following: “He probably knows the history of some of his companies better than the managements,” remarks one appreciative fund manager. Barone, who works out of Dallas, highlighted his buy recommendation on El Paso Corp. in January, at $15.44, largely on valuation in light of improving industry fundamentals. Shares of the Houston-based exploration and production company had bolted to $19.14 by the end of August, for a 24 percent gain that shot past the sector by 6.4 percentage points.