< The 2014 All-Europe Research Team

Julien Roch & team
Barclays
First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 4

Team debut: 2011

Advancing from runner-up after three years, Julien Roch and his six-member Barclays team capture the No. 3 slot. The analysts work out of London and plan to add upwards of two names this year to their 30-company sector portfolio, says Roch. They downgraded the sector to neutral at the end of September because “valuation is in line with the last 40 years’ average — 20 percent premium to the market,” he explains, “and because earnings-per-share momentum has stalled versus the market.” Europe’s media shares gained 7.8 percent in the last three months of 2013, besting the broad market by 2.2 percentage points, a weaker outperformance than they enjoyed in each of the first three quarters of last year. Roch’s squad “provides a high level of service,” reports one portfolio manager, as well as “detailed research support.” In addition, the researchers’ 2013 comparative analysis of European television and advertising markets garners particular investor praise.