Jim Cramer wrote an article: “Jim Cramer’s Picks — Here are 49 Stocks to Buy Right Now. The final result? Even after the most recent 1,000-point Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, rally, Cramer got a failing grade. Although Cramer promised his picks could survive any downturn, these stocks didn’t survive during the market’s brutal third quarter. Only 14 of Cramer’s 49 stock picks closed higher after six months than their April trading price, a paltry 28% success rate.
Don't confuse the best sellside analyst with the best stock picker. These guys are generally ranked highly because of the information and insights they carry about the companies they cover. The research reports they write are really advertising pieces to get clients into their office where these analysts can answer questions and provide information (sometimes shady or in violation of reg FD). Sometimes it's insightful.