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John Glass
Morgan Stanley
First-place appearances: 5

Total appearances: 9

Analyst debut: 2005

Morgan Stanley’s John Glass takes the crown for a fourth straight year, and for the fifth of the past six years. “John is a true restaurant geek, and it shows in his work,” applauds one money manager. “He loves talking shop, and investors and company managements heed his advice.” Boston-­based Glass, 49, describes himself as “cautiously optimistic” on the names under his coverage. “Though the first half of 2013 was a period of strong outperformance, restaurants are poised to benefit from improving payrolls and housing,” he explains. ­Starbucks Corp. is an especially prudent pick, Glass says. He advised clients in late May that the Seattle-­based coffee shop chain is well positioned to benefit from new food offerings in its U.S. restaurants. His team’s proprietary analysis concluded that ­Starbucks’ enhanced food options could add 2 to 4 percent to the enterprise’s same-store sales. Glass first recommended the stock in March 2011 and reiterated the call in January 2013 and again in that May call. From his most recent nod through August, ­Starbucks’ shares have jolted 11.6 percent, from $63.18 to $70.52; over the same period the sector was flat. “I find John to be the analyst you have to speak to when approaching any investment in the restaurant industry,” lauds another satisfied backer. — Katie Gilbert