The Wall Street Journal names alum one of country's top financial analysts

RELEASED: July 5, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—Chris Hovis, a 1991 Centre graduate, has been honored as one of America's most outstanding financial analysts by The Wall Street Journal in the publication's annual "Best on the Street Analyst" survey.

Hovis, who at the time of his nomination was a senior analyst for the investment firm of Morgan Keegan & Co., was recognized for his expertise in the software industry, where his recommendations pinpointed high-performing stocks and mutual funds. Hovis’ job as an investment analyst is to make assessments of the economic performance of individual firms or industries and to make investment recommendations.

His selection for the "Best on the Street" list was, in part, based on a "buy" rating for RSA Security Inc., a firm that specializes in software to prevent theft of digital data. Although the stock was considered by most to be an industry long-shot, it returned nearly 105 percent during the time Hovis maintained the buy rating.

"Although there are many ways to rank analysts, including by their popularity with institutional investors, The Wall Street Journal's survey is strictly quantitative and based solely on stock-picking ability—which recommendations generated the best returns," the newspaper said in announcing the results.

Hovis was a double major at Centre, earning a degree in physics and in electrical engineering through Centre’s unique 3-2 engineering program (click here to learn more about the 3-2 program).

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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