Introduction to Analyst Rankings -- Equity 2000

One of the toughest parts of investing is knowing who's worth listening to. That's especially true when it comes to equity analysts. Every day, droves of analysts churn out stock research, yap on the airwaves and plug their picks. In this sea of Wall Street advice, there are indeed pearls of investing wisdom. But how can the individual investor find the insights and stock ideas that help make money?

One way is to pay attention to the analysts with the best records. Last year, TheStreet.com set out to determine just who these people are. A special staff of researchers was hired and embarked on a massive survey that we believe sets the new standard in analyst rankings. Today, we unveil our results -- sharing with you a rating tool that identifies the truly outstanding Wall Street analysts. Not the most popular. Not the one-time lucky stock pickers. But overall, the very best analysts.

The Winners

By name By category By firm Best stock pickers

Unlike other surveys, we did not rely simply on a vote of money managers to select winners -- essentially a popularity contest. Nor did we rely solely on an analyst's stock-picking record -- an important yardstick, but in itself an incomplete measure of analytical prowess. Rather, we created a ranking that takes into account how the most influential customers -- mutual funds and other institutional holders -- rate analysts on a range of criteria, and how the analysts actually fared in stock selection.

The data we gathered is comprehensive and credible. We received ballots from voters at 138 top institutions, the people who buy and sell the most stock. On the stock-picking side, we partnered with highly regarded I/B/E/S International, and Wall Street research directors provided full cooperation in double-checking the data.

In numerous charts, you'll see how our rankings can help you identify the analysts who are the best in their fields. Over the course of this week, we will also publish a series of stories that take you inside the Wall Street research industry and help you make the most of its products.

But wait, there's more! We have much more data and dish than we could ever present in one week. So for the next 12 months -- every Tuesday -- we will focus on the winning analysts in a particular category, from biotech to semiconductors to retailing. We'll interview the best analysts, ask them for their favorite stocks, and then ask you to vote on whether you agree!

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