Consumer: Apparel, Footwear & Textiles - 2010 3rd

BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research

Although he slips one notch to third place, Robert Ohmes of BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research continues to win praise for “calls that are very tangible and timely not just a philosophical overview,” in the words of one supporter. A couple of recent examples: In February, Ohmes highlighted his buy rating on Beaverton, Oregon–based Nike, at $62.06; and in March he urged clients to pick up shares of Under Armour (a couple months later and at a higher price than the analyst in second place), a sports-apparel retailer headquartered in Baltimore, at $28.40. He told investors in both instances that he had observed “a strong footwear cycle emerging,” and he was right. By the end of August, Nike shares had jogged to $70 and Under Armour’s had surged to $35.87, gains of 12.8 and 26.3 percent, respectively.