Jeffrey Evenson Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

It’s three years in a row at No. 3 for Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.’s Jeffrey Evenson, who, according to one buy-side enthusiast, “has a great understanding of the underlying technology and produces the most comprehensive background pieces in the industry.” Evenson launched coverage of Check Point Software Technologies last October with an outperform rating, at $27.96, on the strength of the Israeli network security services provider’s “strong management system and invigorated appliance strategy.” He highlighted the call in May and again in June. By the end of August, the stock had surged 24.7 percent, to $34.87, and outdistanced the sector by 20.8 percentage points.