Stock analyst sues firm over Biovail incident

Jerry Treppel, ex-Bank of America analyst, has sued his former employer and Biovail--a company that he rated a "sell" in April 2002. His rating infuriated Biovail causing the company to complain to the Bank of America brass. Treppel was subsequently let go for "unprofessional conduct." His firing stemmed from some headlines in the media that Treppel contends did not adequately reflect his views. In any case, what does this say about the state of stock research? You would hope that analysts are empowered to call things as they seem them--and are able to count on their employer to back them up. But you never know. It may be that management still sees analysts as a way to drum up other business or at least curry favor with a potential client.

For more on Treppel:
- Here's a New York Post article