< The 2014 All-Europe Research Team

Christoph Gretler & team
Credit Suisse
First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 7

Team debut: 1999

Credit Suisse notches its best showing since 2001, advancing from runner-up to third place under the leadership of Christoph Gretler (who most recently guided the firm to a runner-up finish in 2008). From its headquarters in Zurich, the four-analyst team publishes research on some 40 Swiss companies. The researchers’ client service is distinguished, according to one advocate. “They always call with new information, and they consistently provide the best estimates,” the client avers. Basel-based Straumann Group, the world’s largest maker of dental implants, is a projected outperformer among the crew’s favorite names. “Investors underestimate management’s determination to cut costs, which should move consensus earnings per share closer to ours,” says Gretler. “Early indications,” he notes, “point toward an improving growth outlook.” Potential economic improvement in Europe, where the company chalked up an estimated 55 percent of sales in 2013, combined with the October launch of Neodent in Spain as part of Straumann’s value-brand strategy and the introduction of such new products as ceramic implants lead the researchers to “sense further upside opportunities,” Gretler adds. The stock closed last year at Sf166.80, 25.9 percent below Credit Suisse’s target.