< The 2015 All-America Research Team

Total appearances: 6

Analyst debut: 2009

Christopher Muse Jr. of Evercore ISI rockets from runner-up to second place, the position he held in 2010 through 2012, when he was with Barclays. He fell from the ranking in 2013 after leaving that firm and in February 2014 signed on with ISI Group, which Evercore Partners acquired last October. Reporting on 17 U.S. semiconductor capital equipment names, Muse wins particular praise for his “Weekly Muse-ings” e-mail and voice-mail blasts. The missives deliver “a very concise overview of the week and trends in the industry,” one fund manager observes. The 45-year-old researcher sees potential trouble for this sector on the near horizon. “I like semi equipment stocks at current valuations, but weakness in broader semi markets and increased volatility in semi equipment stocks combined with fears of equipment reuse and slowing leading-edge equipment demand have led generalists to abandon the group,” Muse says. “So it appears we are back to semi equipment stocks being more volatile, with orders and near-term trends more important to the stocks than long-term trends.” However, he notes, “when semis recover led by hope for [gross domestic product] reacceleration sometime in late 2015, I think semi equipment stocks will turn back in favor. So, looking out six to 12 months, we think semis will begin to outperform.”