To a generation of moviegoers, Tom Cruise will always be known for his portrayal of Maverick, the reckless and fearless pilot in the 1986 film Top Gun. Today, 27 money managers have also earned the sobriquet TopGun, after a poll of analysts.

Brendan Wood International, a performance measurement firm based in Florida, canvassed 600 sell-side analysts, to discover the TopGun Investment Minds over the past year.