< The 2014 All-Europe Research Team Marc Van’t Sant & team Citi First-place appearances: 0
Total appearances: 11
Team debut: 2002 Marc Van’t Sant’s three-member Citi team climbs to No. 3 after two years at runner-up. The London-based crew added two stocks to its sector portfolio last year, for a total of 27 names. “Any hiccups in the European macro recovery could be painful for the staffing agencies, 2013’s star performers,” says Van’t Sant. “As 2014 progresses we expect increased focus on the U.K. general elections, with potential impact on the rate of austerity outsourcing.” (The parliamentary elections are slated for May 2015.) In March 2013 the researchers urged investors to buy Spanish travel and tourism technology company Amadeus IT Holding. They advised that the market was underappreciating Amadeus’s cash generation and opportunity to roll its information technology solutions growth story from airlines into hotels. That call proved correct; the stock closed last year at €20.56, gaining 51.3 percent over a period when the sector was flat.