< The 2015 All-America Research Team

Total Appearances: 7

Analyst Debut: 2009

Riding a tide of praise for his rigorous and insightful reporting on U.S. airfreight and surface transportation names, Morgan Stanley’s William Greene Jr. remains atop this roster for a fourth consecutive year. From the general — “Greene’s sector overview reports are a must-read,” in the opinion of one investor — to the client-specific — he boasts an “uncommon ability to think about stocks the way I do,” another backer marvels — the analyst impresses across the board. “Bill is very thorough in covering the fundamentals,” a third fund manager says. “His weekly railroad traffic data and timely earnings updates are helpful in making our investment decisions.” Another admirer hails Greene’s shipper surveys for “keeping tabs on order trends,” adding that his “field research is the most thorough among his peers’ — and he has the best contacts.” Before moving to Hong Kong and becoming director of the firm’s Asia-Pacific research efforts last month, Greene, 46, officially tracked 27 stocks. In June he initiated coverage of Delta Air Lines, the U.S.’s largest airline company, with a buy rating, largely on earnings expectations and robust industry fundamentals. His price target was $65, and by mid-September shares of the Atlanta-based freight, mail and passenger carrier had jumped 15 percent, to $46.67. During the same period, the sector lost 7.9 percent.