The 2014 All-America Research Team: Autos & Auto Parts, No. 1: Rod Lache

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< The 2014 All-America Research Team

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Rod LacheDeutsche Bank SecuritiesFirst-Place Appearances: 3

Total Appearances: 12

Analyst Debut: 2003Headlining this list for a third year running is Deutsche Bank Securities’ Rod Lache. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, the 44-year-old reports that he spends roughly half his time on the road either gathering or disseminating research. Clients appreciate his diligence. “Rod is both nimble and long-term oriented, depending on the circumstances,” conveys one fund manager. “He’s not wed to just one approach.” The analyst covers 24 U.S. companies in the sector and has recently changed tack on Southfield, Michigan–based auto parts maker Lear Corp. In May, Lache upgraded the stock from hold to buy, at $84.24, largely on an uptick in its seating business. Then in July, with the shares up 17.3 percent and ahead of their peers by 11 percentage points, he downgraded them back to hold — but boosted his target price from $100 to $103 — citing such headwinds as slumping industry volumes and margins. He reiterated his stance in late August, and the stock had traded up to $101.23 by mid-September. For the future the Deutsche researcher prefers Ford Motor Co., which he has advised investors to buy since upgrading the stock from hold in April. At that time, Lache’s survey of suppliers and other industry contacts indicated that the Dearborn, Michigan–headquartered automaker’s new pickup truck would give the competition a run for its money. Through mid-September, Ford’s shares rallied 5.5 percent, to $16.47; he forecasts a rise to $19.

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