BUSINESS MEMO: INVESTMENT FIRM HONORED

Raymond James & Associates Inc. finished first among 16 investment firms in the quarterly stock picking competition tabulated by Zacks Investment Research Inc., according to the Wall Street Journal.

The company had a return of 28.3 percent for the quarter, and 59.5 percent during the trailing 12-month periods ended Sept. 30, said Philip Dame, branch manager of the Robert Thomas Securities, 1320 N. Kingshighway. Robert Thomas Securities is an affiliate of Raymond James.

The company finished second for a five-year period ending Sept. 30., with a 313.4 percent return, according to the Wall Street Journal. This compares to a 156.9 percent return for the S&P 500 Index over a five-year period.