An analysis by Financial News Online finds that equity analysts are more bullish right now. Buy recommendations from the top 10 investment banks [1] accounted for 44.8 percent of all recommendations as of the end of 2007. That compares with 41.6 percent in October 2006, and the record 45.8 percent in 2002--the year banks were forced to separate research and banking. While banking support presumably is less of a concern, analysts still want executive access, and low ratings will not allow that. Also, the research may have converged a bit to companies that investors want to hold. Better to be out here with a few good ideas for hedge funds.  

For more:
- here's the Financial News Online article [2]

Read more on: investment banks [3] | equity [4]