SECOND TEAM

Philip Cusick  J.P. Morgan

In his first appearance in the ranking since 2007, when he was a runner-up with Bear, Stearns & Co., Philip Cusick takes the No. 2 spot. Investors say the J.P. Morgan analyst is a “solid stock picker” who maintains “excellent relationships with companies he directly covers and within the rest of the channel.” Cusick picked MetroPCS Communications in January, at $12.97, on strong growth prospects after the Richardson, Texas–based provider of prepaid wireless services announced that it had signed up a record number of subscribers in 2010 — a net gain of 1.5 million users that brought its total to 8.2 million. In May, MetroPCS reported a 23 percent jump in revenue, to $1.2 billion, year-over-year in the first quarter. That month, Cusick told clients to take profits, after the stock had climbed 41.1 percent, to $18.30, and bested the sector by 33.4 percentage points; the analyst thought investor expectations had risen too high. The stock had plunged 39 percent, to $11.16, by the end of August. Cusick is “a first-rate analyst,” applauds one backer.