Tal LianiBank of America
Merrill Lynch		Tal Liani drops one notch to second place; he’s also No. 2 in Telecom Equipment/Wireless. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch researcher has a “full and unique understanding of how and why a company’s products are succeeding — or not,” as one money manager puts it, while another credits Liani with providing “excellent historical context on both stocks and industry trends.” Liani pointed investors to Columbia, Maryland’s Sourcefire in November, at $31.89, because of rising demand for network security services. Sourcefire shares had flared to $51.89 by late August, for a scorching 62.7 percent advance. “As the sector has matured we have shifted focus to identifying true growth companies, deemphasizing valuation considerations in cases where we found growth sustainability,” Liani says. “Sourcefire is a good example.” Investors would undoubtedly agree.