< The 2014 All-America Research Team
Total Appearances: 3
Analyst Debut: 2012Repeating in first place on this list is 36-year-old Matthew Boss. As he did last year, the J.P. Morgan analyst also captures a runner-up position on the Apparel, Footwear & Textiles roster. In this space, he says, “we recommend a balanced approach, with a focus on ‘best in class,’ multiyear-compounding, midteens-earnings-growth stories.” A prime example of such a company is Foot Locker, Boss contends. His team’s proprietary research into same-store sales figures has indicated that the New York–based shoes and apparel retailer is performing much better by that metric than other mall-based specialty stores. He initiated the buy call in January, and by mid-September, Foot Locker had raced ahead 53.9 percent, closing at $57.13 and outdistancing the sector by 42.3 percentage points. Boss also remains bullish on Macy’s, in part because the Cincinnati-based department operator has “top- and bottom-line drivers in place” to propel robust earnings-per-share expansion for the foreseeable future, he says. The researcher has been a champion of Macy’s as a long-term value since the autumn of 2011, when he launched coverage with an overweight rating. In mid-September the shares closed at $59.57, up 35.9 percent over the preceding 12 months and ahead of its peers by 27.5 percentage points.