< The 2014 All-America Research Team

Total Appearances: 19

Analyst Debut: 2004Tal Liani earns top honors on this new roster, which reflects coverage of previously separate Data Networking & Wireline Equipment and Telecom Equipment/Wireless sectors. Last year the 46-year-old Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst claimed the No. 2 and No. 3 position on the lineups, respectively. He now reports on 22 telecommunications and networking equipment companies and prefers to evaluate stocks individually, deeming the sector too broad to warrant a general call. “With valuations so high,” notes Liani, “we like out-of-favor growth companies that trade at discounts to their established peers and could be rerated once the Street acknowledges the sustainability of their business trends.” Among the players that he believes fit this framework are Aerohive Networks of Sunnyvale, California; and San Jose, California–based A10 Networks and Ubiquiti Networks. Each company is on the analyst’s buy list, and his price objectives of $13, $19 and $60, respectively, imply upsides of 50.6 percent, 72.6 percent and 39.4 percent to the shares’ trading values in mid-September.