James WestBarclaysFirst-Place Appearances: 2Total Appearances: 4
Analyst Debut: 2011
Repeating in first place on this lineup isJames West, who departed Barclays to join ISI Group in late September. “He has as deep and as thoroughgoing a knowledge of the industry as almost anyone I’ve met in my 30 years in the business,” one admirer avows. Echoes another client: “James provides a clarity of thinking that other analysts lack. “Before he left Barclays, West was bullish on the Houston-based triumvirate of Baker Hughes, Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger, as well as Switzerland’s Weatherford International. “Our view was that they were increasingly taking market share in North America and would benefit the most from the international up cycle,” observes West, 36. After all, even if the largest publicly traded oil companies are tightening the capital expenditure reins, the world’s national oil companies and large independent oil operators are still increasing their spending, he notes, and 2014 is poised to be another record year for global exploration and production outlays, with activity in Australia, China, Indonesia, the Middle East, Russia and sub-Saharan Africa. What’s more, Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Schlumberger have all introduced innovative oil field technologies, “which is helping them maintain market share against smaller competitors,” West adds, while Weatherford is restructuring by divesting noncore product lines to become “a much more returns-focused, cash-flow-focused company.”