SECOND TEAM Robin Farley  UBS

Robin Farley ruled the roost for the past nine years; this year the UBS analyst slips to second place — the position she earned in her debut, in 2001 — but continues to win the admiration of investors. “Robin is a steady ship in the rough seas of cruise stocks,” says one longtime client. “She knows the companies from top deck to keel, and investors trust her when the storms hit.” Farley also has established a reputation as an expert on Harley-Davidson. She issued a short-term buy recommendation on the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer in early June, at $35.87, telling clients that year-over-year sales had surged 19 percent in May, thanks largely to surging demand in the Middle East. Farley expected the trend to continue into the summer, and she was right: Harley reported double-digit sales growth in July and August too. Moreover, Harley’s share price jumped nearly 7 percent during the first day of trading after Farley made her buy recommendation. The stock zipped to $45.91 in July — its 52-week high — before being dragged down by market turmoil to end August at $38.66, for a gain of 7.8 percent.