Christopher Horvers
J.P. Morgan
First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 5

Analyst debut: 2009

After four years as a runner-up, Christopher Horvers advances to third place. The J.P. Morgan researcher “is very on top of the model and the underlying trends in the business that are most important,” according to one happy client, adding that he’s a “standout in a sector full of very strong analysts.” Horvers has long been an advocate of Home Depot, first overweighting the Atlanta-based home-improvement retailer in February 2006, and reiterating that conviction most recently in June 2012, despite a dip in the stock price to $50.60. “We believe that the home category is taking share of wallet from other categories given the housing turn and price dynamics,” he says. In addition, Home Depot’s strong execution and history of driving above-market sales growth make it an especially good choice, he contends. From his June restatement through August 2013, the shares bounded ahead 47.2 percent, to $$74.49, besting the sector by 10.6 percentage points. — Katie Gilbert