< The 2015 All-Europe Research Team
William Vanderpump & team
UBS
First-place appearances: 15
Total appearances: 31
Team debut: 1992
Runners-up in 2014, William Vanderpump and his three-person UBS squad in London catapult to second place. The researchers cover 28 regional business and employment services providers. Over the 12 months through January, the sector gained 3.3 percent, against the regional broad market’s 8 percent rise, and they advise investors to mind the strengths and weaknesses of subsectors in the group. “We are positive on staffing, not necessarily because of a bullish macro outlook, but because the status quo in terms of macro trends should be enough for them to deliver reasonable earnings growth — and valuations are still reasonable,” says Vanderpump, 36. “We also like testing, although earnings risks and disparate valuations mean you need to be selective. We are relatively more cautious on distribution and outsourcing.” Their favorite companies for 2015 include Switzerland-based Adecco, the world’s largest employment agency, by sales; Britain’s Berendsen, a linen and textiles cleaning services provider; U.K.-headquartered HomeServe, which provides residential emergency and repair services; and British inspection and industrial testing company Intertek Group.