< The 2014 All-Europe Research Team
After three years in second place, Mark Troman and his Bank of America Merrill Lynch quartet recapture the top position. Truman, 43, is “an experienced analyst with deep knowledge and strong calls, making him the best in his space on a global scale,” in the words of one asset manager. From their London headquarters, the researchers track 35 capital goods names, winning investor plaudits for their coverage of Germany’s Siemens. Last March the group upgraded the diversified engineering concern from neutral to buy, crediting the company’s positive earnings momentum and management’s renewed commitment to margin enhancement. By year’s end, Siemens’ stock had surged 23.2 percent, to €99.29, pacing the sector by 11.1 percentage points. A long-standing buy on Swiss power and robotics technologies supplier ABB — largely thanks to elevated appetite for its products and management’s cost-cutting program — also garners praise. In the 12 months through December, ABB’s shares leaped 26.2 percent, to Sf23.47, against the sector’s 23.3 percent gain. Both Siemens and ABB remain favorites for 2014 because of their exposure to industrial automation, which the analysts expect to further bolster demand. “Mark and his team manage to combine a fundamental approach with timely trading recommendations,” sums up another loyalist. See also Mark Troman’s profiles in the 2013 All-Europe Research Team and 2012 All-Europe Research Team. |
