SECOND TEAM

Mark Troman & team BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research

BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research’s four-analyst team under Mark Troman slips to second place, but the squad continues to offer what one grateful client calls “excellent ideas that yield excellent returns.” In November 2009 the crew upgraded Finland’s Metso Corp. from neutral to buy as a bargain at €20.76, citing the diversified supplier of automation-related technologies’ strong earnings momentum and the growth in capital expenditures in its client base. The stock had catapulted 101.4 percent, to €41.81, by the end of December 2010. “The recovery story proved right,” cheers one ally.