< The 2015 All-America Research Team

Total Appearances: 6

Analyst Debut: 2012

In first place in this realigned sector is J.P. Morgan’s Matthew Boss. The group combines the former Apparel, Footwear & Textiles and Retailing/Specialty Stores categories with Retailing/Department Stores. Boss, 37, claimed the crown in 2014 for his reporting on U.S. broadlines and department stores as well as a runner-up position for his tracking of the nation’s softlines. He is counseling clients to prefer quality names as the retail space grows increasingly choppy. One of his favorite companies is, and has been, sports apparel giant Nike. The Beaverton, Oregon–based manufacturer is among the players best positioned to gain from “the athletic lifestyle shift,” he says, and enjoys significant top-line growth and margin-expansion opportunities. In shifting his position on the stock from neutral to overweight in February 2013, the analyst pointed to Nike’s impressive product pipeline, as well as management’s plan to turn around the retailer’s China operations and commitment to enhancing total shareholder return. Since his upgrade, the shares had bolted 118 percent by the middle of last month, rising to $115.05 and outperforming the broad market by 41.9 percentage points. For the preceding 12-month period alone, Nike jumped 41.9 percent, against the S&P 500’s 2.6 percent decline. “As any good ‘boss’ does, Boss continuously raises the bar year after year,” remarks one advocate. “His management meetings are mandatory, and despite the added workload of new coverage, the moneymaking calls never stop.”