Six William Blair & Company equity research analysts were recognized in the 2011 Financial Times/StarMine World's Top Analysts Awards. Katherine Xu, a biotechnology analyst, was ranked as the No. 7 overall stock picker in the United States, and five other analysts were ranked among the top three stock pickers or earnings estimators in their respective industries.
In addition to the six Financial Times/StarMine awards, William Blair analysts recently received seven awards in The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" Analyst Survey for 2011—the second-highest total of any firm. The combined 13 awards marks the second straight year that William Blair has earned a double-digit number of awards between the two publications.
"These awards represent the impressive breadth and depth of talent among our analysts," said Bob Newman, head of William Blair's equity research group. "Their talent and hard work allow us to provide superior investment ideas and value-added insight for our clients across multiple sectors and industries."
The following William Blair analysts were included in the Financial Times/StarMine World's Top Analysts Awards:
- Katherine Xu – No. 7 Overall Stock Picker (across all U.S analysts and sectors)*
- Bhavan Suri – No. 1 Stock Picker in IT Services
- Sharon Zackfia – No. 1 Stock Picker in Restaurants
- Mark Miller – No. 2 Earnings Estimator in Food & Staples Retailing
- Christopher Shutler – No. 2 Earnings Estimator in IT Services
- Chase Jacobson – No. 3 Earnings Estimator in Construction & Engineering*
*Chase Jacobson and Katherine Xu were not employed at William Blair & Company in 2010 when making these recommendations.
This marks the second straight year Sharon Zackfia has been named the No. 1 stock picker in the restaurant industry and the third straight year Mark Miller has been in the top three for earnings estimation.
William Blair's universe of equity research coverage comprises more than 470 quality growth companies across the following sectors: consumer, global industrial infrastructure, global services, financial, healthcare, and technology.
StarMine, a Thomson Reuters company, objectively measures the performance of analysts based on the returns of their buy/sell recommendations and the accuracy of their earnings estimates. The 2011 awards are based on the 2010 calendar-year performance of recommendations and estimates on companies that are based in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
More information about StarMine's methodololgy.
William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is a global investment firm offering investment banking, asset management, equity research, institutional and private brokerage, and private capital to individual, institutional, and issuing clients. Since 1935, we have been committed to helping clients achieve their financial objectives. As an independent, employee-owned firm, our philosophy is to serve our clients' interests first and foremost. We place a high value on the enduring nature of our client relationships, the quality of our products and services, and the continuity and integrity of our people. William Blair & Company is based in Chicago, with office locations including Boston, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Zurich. For more information, please visit www.williamblair.com.
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