Can You Spot the Expert? - Company Business and Marketing

Industry Standard, The, Feb, 2001

                         Can You Spot the Expert?
               Sure, the stock market spent most of 2000 in
                   a serious funk, but nothing that the
                superstar analysts of Wall Street couldn't
               predict, right? Not quite. Last year the pros
               got slammed, but the best amateur analysts on
                financial site iExchange.com turned a handy
                   profit. Here's a look at how some top
                    amateurs fared against their famous
                               counterparts:
                  Average Return
AMATUERS           Per Pick [*]
Dr. Wall Street       12.05%
New Paradigm          98.33%
Yogi                 134.22%
PROFESSIONALS
Henry Blodget        -53.09%
Mary Meeker          -47.95%
Abby Joseph Cohen     3.30%
                  Description
AMATUERS
Dr. Wall Street   This teenager, who comes from a family of
                  financial professiona,s preaches diversity
                  and long-term growth.
New Paradigm      These two West Point grads like high-risk
                  companies that are transforming the new
                  economy
Yogi              The legally blind former computer programmer
                  makes most of his income from stocks. He
                  bases his picks on conversations with select
                  company officers.
PROFESSIONALS
Henry Blodget     The Merrill LYnch analyst rode to fame as the
                  Net's biggest booster. He once predicted
                  that Amazon would hit $400 per share.
Mary Meeker       The Net's queen bee was stung in 2000 by
                  disasters like the declining health of
                  WebMD, one of the companies she helped
                  Morgan Stanley Dean Witter take public.
Abby Joseph Cohen The chief U.S. portfolio strategies at
                  Goldman Sachs has a reputation as the
                  reigning bull of Wall Street.
                  Top Pick [*]
AMATUERS
Dr. Wall Street   Commerce One (CMRC);
                  300% return; picked 12/04/99
New Paradigm      Rambus (RMBS); 420% return;
                  picked 12/13/99
Yogi              Illinois Superconductor Corp.
                  (ISCO); 1363% return; picked
                  12/31/99
PROFESSIONALS
Henry Blodget     Amazon.com (AMZN); -1.59%
                  return; renewed pick 11/28/00
Mary Meeker       Amazon.com (AMZN); -11.43%
                  return, renewed pick 10/11/00
Abby Joseph Cohen Starbucks (SBUX); 38.28%
                  return; picked 01/29/00
(*.)DEC. 1, 1999 - DEC. 1, 2000.
SOURCES: IEXCHANGE.COM AND VALIDEA.COM