Steven Kent of Goldman, Sachs & Co., in second place for a third year running, “earns his keep on the strengths of his industry primers alone,” says one investor. “Those reports are fantastic at getting you up to speed and telling you what to focus on in the group — such as valuations, which drive stock prices.” Kent downgraded Reno, Nevada–based slot-machine manufacturer International Game Technology from neutral to sell in June 2010, at $19.23, on valuation and slowing growth, among other factors. The stock fell 20.6 percent, to $15.26, through August 2011. In March the analyst urged clients to take profits on WMS Industries, dubbing the shares of the Waukegan, Illinois–based maker of video lottery terminals overpriced at $39.35. The stock plunged 45.4 percent, to $21.49, and trailed the sector by 48.5 percentage points, through mid-August, when Kent upgraded WMS to neutral. By the end of that month, the share price had inched up 1.5 percent, to $21.82.
SECOND TEAMSteven KentGoldman, Sachs & Co.