Craigs' Stephen Ridgewell - Infinz analyst of the Year

Research Analyst of the Year, Stephen Ridgewel (left) and MinterEllisonRuddWatts partner Lloyd Kavanagh at the 2020 Infinz finance industry awards. Photo / Supplied

MinterEllisonRuddWattsResearch Analyst of the Year

This is the third year in a row that Craigs Investment Partners' Stephen Ridgewell has been chosen as the best research analyst.

All New Zealand-based research analysts who are employed by the four surveyed broking firms operating in this country were eligible for the title.

The award is determined by polling the 11 leading NZ-based financial institutions which are active investors in Australasian equities.

Criteria for judging included clarity and timeliness of communications and the quality of analysis.

The judges noted Ridgewell's "high-conviction calls", which were supported by detailed research delivered as written reports and through face-to-face meetings.

Ridgewell, who covers the aged care, technology, healthcare and dairy sectors, started in the industry in 2007 - right on the cusp of the global financial crisis.

"It was an interesting start to my career for sure, and a baptism of fire for a junior analyst," he says.

"I very quickly got opportunities to cover stocks - so in the first year I was covering about 10 companies, which is quite unusual.

"The creative destruction in the form of a downturn in the industry offered opportunities for a young guy like myself coming through."

Ridgewell joined Craigs from Macquarie in 2012.

When he started coverage of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, the company had a market capitalisation of $1 billion compared with $20b today.

Likewise, Ryman was worth $1b when he started coverage, compared with its current market cap of $7b.

It hasn't all been one way, though. "I also picked up Rakon, which was not quite so successful, but it did get me into becoming a software and tech analyst, which has been an interesting part of my career," he says.

"The approach that I have tried to take is to do in-depth research - so talking to management, talking to competitors and really trying to do on-the-ground analysis."

This is the fourth time that Ridgewell has been made Analyst of the Year - he first won the title in 2012.