Among the more retro trends inspired by the ongoing banking crisis is the creation of super-star analysts who punch above their weight class in terms of exposure and influence. As the banking and credit mess heated up, Meredith Whitney of Oppenheimer & Co. and Richard Bove of Ladenburg Thalman both emerged as closely watched voices who called problems in the sector ahead of time. Both changed jobs this week as a direct result of the ongoing saga in the industry they follow.
Whitney is striking out on her own at the Meredith Whitney Advisory Group specializing in bank research, and the FT reports she'll also apply for a broker-dealer license. Whitney rose to prominence in late 2007 when she warned Citigroup would have to cut its dividend and raise capital. That call sent Citigroup's shares slumping, and the bank did cut its dividend in January 2008. For the record, Whitney is still bearish on the sector, and predicts more capital raising will be needed before the crisis ends. This time, she'll be cashing in as the financial sector rebuilds. (She also made our list of Top 25 Market Movers.)
Bove's move is a little more complicated. As one of the more vocal critics of the banking sector over the past few years, he's exiting Landenburg and taking a job at Connecticut-based Rochdale Securities to continue fighting a lawsuit brought by BankAtlantic Bancorp. The Florida-based bank sued Bove and Landenburg over a report asking "Who Is Next" in July following the failure of IndyMac Bancorp. The suit made staying at his old employer "untenable," Bove told Dow Jones, because Landenburg wanted to settle the case as legal costs mounted. He told Dow Jones: "The BankAtlantic suit, in my opinion, was really driven toward stopping me from speaking [publicly] and towards impacting my research, and it succeeded in doing that because we did restrain a lot of the research."
Start the discussion! Be the first to comment on this story.