THIRD TEAM

Jeffrey Kvaal  Barclays Capital

Jeffrey Kvaal, who slips one notch to third place, is “hugely underrated as a stock picker,” insists one ally. The Barclays Capital analyst upgraded Netgear from equal weight to overweight in September 2009, at $16.96, on growing demand for the San Jose, California–based company’s data networking and storage solutions. In July 2011, after the stock had bolted a staggering 153.4 percent, to $42.98, and blown past the sector by 86.1 percentage points, Kvaal downgraded it to equal weight, on valuation. The shares subsequently tumbled 35.3 percent, to $27.82, through August. Kvaal has “stellar analytical skills and delivers great client service,” cheers one backer.