| Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.’s Anagha Gupte repeats in third place. “Her research is extremely differentiated, which is ever more impressive given how complicated her coverage universe is,” marvels one advocate. Gupte is bullish about the sector’s growth potential because of the increased privatization of government entitlement programs, as budget-constrained states outsource their Medicaid and Medicare health insurance programs to managed care companies. “This has been proceeding at a rapid pace and has offered a massive growth tailwind for the sector,” says Gupte. Her top pick for 2012 is UnitedHealth Group, on the strength of the Minnetonka, Minnesota–based outfit’s scale, growing platform of fee-based health services and strong management team. The stock gained 7.9 percent in the first eight months of the year. RUNNER(S)-UP Carl McDonald |
