In just his second year on the team, J.P. Morgan’s Matthew Boss bolts from runner-up to first; he also garners a runner-up spot in Apparel, Footwear & Textiles. The analyst “fully understands what is (and what isn’t) baked into a stock price, in terms of expectations and sentiment,” asserts one fan. Boss is telling clients that despite stabilizing home prices and other signs of consumer recovery, a “selective approach to the group,” with a focus on best-in-class names that boast strong, multiyear earnings growth, is advisable. Since November 2011 his favorite department store has been Macy’s, the Cincinnati-based operator of its namesake and Bloomingdale’s stores. He trumpets its topline consistency and management’s development of a collaboration between brick-and-mortar sales and e-commerce to drive long-term gains. He most recently restated his call in June 2012, at $36.06; the stock grew 23.2 percent, to $44.43, through August 2013. Boss, 34, holds an MS in accounting from Indiana’s University of Notre Dame. After graduating he joined the auditing division of Ernst & Young, then moved to J.P. Morgan to cover broadlines. He soon jumped again, to the buy side, to track consumer stocks at Diamondback Advisors. In 2011, Boss returned to J.P. Morgan. — Katie Gilbert |
The 2013 All-America Research Team: Retailing/Broadlines & Department Stores, No. 1: Matthew Boss
