Robert Ohmes  BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research The buy side says: “Robbie knows what he is talking about.”

Robert Ohmes, 42, vaults from third place all the way to the top — making his first appearance in the winner’s circle since 2007. “Robbie is a great stock picker and an accomplished analyst,” observes one portfolio manager. “He recommends stocks for long-term investors and articulates the competitive advantages that result in long-term superior performance.” Two examples illustrate the point: The BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research analyst has been urging investors to buy New York–based sportswear and footwear retailer Foot Locker and Dick’s Sporting Goods of Coraopolis, ­Pennsylvania, since July 2008. He reiterated his stand on both stocks in October 2010, at $14.38 and $27.85, respectively, citing continuing strong demand for athletic footwear. By the end of August, Foot Locker’s shares had raced 45.1 percent, to $20.87, and Dick’s climbed 26.1 percent, to $35.13. During the same period the sector gained 24.3 percent. Ohmes has a knack for “picking the right winners and losers,” applauds one buy-side proponent.