Industry: Healthcare

Success Rate: 62%

Average Return: 9%

Noteworthy recommendation: GenMark (GNMK)

Matson’s most profitable recommendation of 2016 (with a three-month profit of 72.7%) was for molecular diagnostic testing company GenMark on April 19. He has subsequently reiterated his buy rating twice — most recently on July 29 after the European clearance and launch of GNMK’s sample-to-answer ePlex system. At the end of last year, GenMark submitted ePlex to the FDA for clearance.

Industry: Financial

Success Rate: 87%

Average Return: 11.5%

Noteworthy recommendation: Triumph Bancorp (TBK)

Nolan’s buy recommendation of Texas-based Triumph Bancorp on Nov. 27 was his most profitable call of the last year. From the end of Nov until Jan. 11 the shares made 39.9% profit.

According to Nolan, 3Q16 earnings were solid with EPS of $0.32 above estimates (excluding merger-related expenses from the acquisition of ColoEast Bancshares in August). However, "asset quality deteriorated in terms of higher nonperforming assets (NPA) and net charge-offs mostly related to legacy TBK credit," said Nolan.

Industry: Financial

Success Rate: 78%

Average Return: 14.2%

Noteworthy recommendation: Genworth Financial (GNW)

Palmer maintained his Buy rating on the insurance company’s stock on February 5. This turned out to be a very good decision — the stock gained 78% in the three months after the call with the share price rising from $2.18 to $4.06.

However, Palmer has recently downgraded his Genworth rating to hold following the announcement in October of its acquisition by China Oceanwide for $5.43 per share in cash.

Industry: Technology

Success Rate: 77%

Average Return: 15%

Noteworthy recommendation: Amber Road (AMBR)

Hynes’ recommendation global trade management software company Amber Road proved a success. The shares rose by 122% in the three months from the recommendation open date of May 5. Across the whole of 2016, Amber Road shares made an impressive gain from $4.88 to $9.08.

Industry: Financial

Success Rate: 97%

Average Return: 16.4%

Noteworthy recommendation: SVB Financial Group (SIVB)

Haire’s best call of 2016 was his buy rating for SVB on Oct 21, as in the next three months shares of the US-based commercial bank soared 41.9%. He lifted his '17/'18 EPS estimates for SVB to $7.90/$9.35 from $7.50/$8.55 respectively as "thawing of the exit markets bodes well for future outlook and preliminary guidance is stronger than we had modeled."

Industry: Basic Materials

Success Rate: 82%

Average Return: 17.8%

Noteworthy recommendation: Encana Corp (ECA)

Silverstein reiterated his Buy rating on the Canadian energy company on Feb 25. In the subsequent three months from his call, the stock was up from $3.75 to $7.54, making a profit of 101.6%.

In his most recent buy call on Encana (in November) he said Encana is "one of the few stocks differentiating itself via asset quality, execution, and outlooks that can support lower price thresholds."

Industry: Basic Materials

Success Rate: 93%

Average Return: 20.3%

Noteworthy recommendation: Ring Energy (REI)

Burwell’s most profitable call last year was on the Texas-based oil and gas company Ring Energy on March 17. Burwell, who has a 100% success rate on Ring Energy stock, made an 80.4% profit on his buy recommendation in three months.

Burwell is still bullish on REI. At the end of 2016 he said "we are confident in REI's ability to grow production ~90% [in 2017] and ~60% in 2018 while posting Permian-leading capital efficiency (as measured by CF/DAS growth and CROCI)."

Industry: Technology

Success Rate: 82%

Average Return: 20.7%

Noteworthy recommendation: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

On Sep 15, Ing reiterated his buy call for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Stocks of the chipmaker surged by an impressive 80.3% in the next 3 months.

Ing, who has a 100% success rate on the stock, has since reiterated his buy rating a further two times. Most recently, on Nov 22 he raised AMD’s price target to $10.5 from $8 to reflect improved prospects for AMD driven by its new product pipeline.

Industry: Basic Materials

Success Rate: 67%

Average Return: 28.5%

Noteworthy recommendation: Coeur Mining (CDE)

Coeur Mining shares soared 191% following Reagor’s buy recommendation on Jan 11 2016. Reagor has an average return on Coeur Mining stock of 157.8%. He reiterated his buy rating for Coeur again in October due to strong cost improvement.

However, he added that "the company continues to use its ATM to decrease debt, which adds a near-term overhang for the company… [we are] cutting our price target to $14 from $16."

Industry: Basic Materials

Success Rate: 67%

Average Return: 32%

Noteworthy recommendation: Fairmount Santrol (FMSA)

With Randhawa’s buy recommendation for Fairmount on 9 March, 2016, he made a whopping profit of 207% in three months. Ohio-based Fairmount provides sand products to oil and gas companies to enhance their well productivity.

However, Randhawa downgraded Fairmount to sell in June and has reiterated his sell rating twice. Although FMSA shares did rally at the end of the year, analysts are concerned about the ratio of FMSA’s debt load to its market cap.

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