< The 2014 All-America Research TeamRobert HopkinsBank of America Merrill LynchFirst-place appearances: 1
Total appearances: 11
Team debut: 2004It’s eight straight years at No. 2 on this roster for Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Robert Hopkins. Among the analyst’s favored names is St. Paul, Minnesota–based St. Jude Medical. “We like several products in the pipeline, including CardioMEMS’ pressure monitor, the TactiCath [atrial fibrillation] catheter, the Nanostim leadless pacemaker and their new neuro stimulation device,” he explains. “In our view, the growth-acceleration potential from these devices is not reflected in the company’s valuation.” Hopkins target for the medical device manufacturer’s stock is $80, which implies a 29.2 percent upside to its price in mid-September. “Bob often uncovers data points that might affect his names that no one else finds,” marvels one buy-side countepart.