THIRD TEAM Darrin Peller  Barclays Capital

Newcomer Darrin Peller shoots straight in to third place. The Barclays Capital analyst reiterated his buy call on Alliance Data Systems Corp. in July 2010, at $55.70, making the case that the Plano, Texas–based data processor for customer-loyalty programs would continue to enjoy strong growth. In April, Alliance Data reported that year-over-year net income in the first quarter catapulted 85 percent, to $86.4 million, and in July it reported that net income in the second quarter jumped 45.9 percent, to $69 million. The stock had roared to $93.41 by the end of August, for a gain of 67.7 percent that trumped the sector by 34 percentage points.