People are seen at the entrance of the UBS office in London, Britain, March 20, 2023.
Henry Nicholls | Reuters
Having identified the top 10 analysts on Wall Street over the past decade, here is a list of the top 10 research firms.
To create this list, TipRanks analyzed every stock recommendation made by investment research firms over the past decade. The ranking is based on the average return, success rate and statistical significance (number of recommendations made) of the ratings of the analysts working at these companies.
By including statistical significance in our analysis, the list prioritizes companies with a higher number of ratings. This explains why some research companies have higher success rates and average returns but are ranked lower.
TipRanks used their Experts Center tool to identify the top 10 research companies.
Top 10 Wall Street Research Firms
The image below shows Wall Street’s most successful research firms in descending order.
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards
1. RBC Capital
At the top is the global investment bank RBC Capital. The company’s 223 analysts made 27,352 recommendations, the most of any company on this list, across multiple sectors. RBC Capital boasts a 56% success rate. Based on its recommendations, the company achieved an average return of 9.3%.
2. Jeffries
Full-service investment banking and capital markets firm Jefferies took second place on the list. It has delivered an average return of 8.3% and has a 56% success rate based on 25,218 reviews from 358 analysts. The company’s most profitable sector is utilities.
3. Financial Trust
The financial service provider Truist Financial took third place. It has averaged a 13.4% return based on 10,164 recommendations from 66 analysts across a variety of sectors. It has a 60% success rate.
4. Credit Suisse
In fourth place is the global financial services company Credit Suisse. The 467 analysts issued 18,683 recommendations across different sectors and achieved an average return of 8.3%. Credit Suisse has a 57% success rate.
Note: Credit Suisse was acquired by UBS on March 19th.
5.UBS
Swiss banking and financial services giant UBS took fifth place. Its 417 analysts have a 58% success rate on over 15,800 ratings with an average return of 7.2%. The company’s most profitable sector is technology.
6. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW)
KBW is a full service boutique investment bank and broker dealer. His team of 75 analysts made 3,947 stock recommendations. The analysts were most successful in recommending stocks from the service sector. It boasts a 65% success rate, the highest on this list, and an average return of 11.6%.
7. Raymond James
Next on the list is independent investment bank and financial services firm Raymond James. It has delivered an average return of 8.2%. Additionally, it has a 55% success rate based on 21,691 reviews from 162 analysts across a variety of sectors.
8. Stalk
Global wealth management and investment banking firm Stifel is eighth on this list. The company’s 291 analysts made 20,870 recommendations across different sectors. Stifel has a 54% success rate and the company has generated an average return of 9.1%. It was most profitable to recommend stocks in the technology sector.
9. Wolfe Research
Independent sell-side research firm Wolfe Research ranked ninth. Its 48 analysts have a 61% success rate on over 5,432 ratings with an average return of 11%. The company was most profitable in recommending stocks in the consumer staples sector.
10. Deutsche Bank
German investment bank and financial services company Deutsche Bank is ranked 10th. It has averaged a 7.3% return. It has a 56% success rate with over 15,732 reviews from 346 analysts.
bottom line
Investors can follow the views of these leading research firms to make informed investment decisions. Meanwhile, investors who want to see which companies are ahead based on a variety of criteria, including benchmarking against the sector or S&P 500, with no benchmark and no timeframe, can use TipRanks’ Top Performing Research Firms tool.