< The 2014 All-America Research TeamKenneth CacciatoreCowen and Co.First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 5

Team debut: 2010For the first time since his 2010 debut, Kenneth Cacciatore cracks the top three, rising from runner-up to claim third place. Clients are effusive in their praise of the Cowen and Co. analyst. “Ken’s analytical capabilities capture both the science and art of sell-side research,” marvels one fund manager. “He has strong capability to financially model a company, but this combined with the more natural ability to see all the probability-weighted paths ahead for a particular business model make him a key asset on the sell side.” Cacciatore advises that although the sector has performed exceedingly well this year, owing to the many mergers and acquisitions in the group as well as the increasing use of tax inversions, “it will be much more selective in the next six months.” He forecasts that “the value names will outperform what have been the better performers in the growth stocks through the middle of the year.” One name that the researcher expects to perform well going forward is Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The world’s largest generic-drug manufacturer has a new management team in place, and he believes that Teva “will be able to capture operational inefficiencies and cost reductions.” Cacciatore also forecasts that the company will fully convert and retain its branded Copaxone franchise — a therapy for multiple sclerosis that is administered in once-daily and three-times-weekly dosages — before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves a generic version of the once-daily treatment. “Additionally,” he notes, “we believe that they will likely pursue business development in the highly fragmented neurology space, where they have core competency, as well as in the respiratory area, where they have well-regarded technology.” These catalysts should contribute to a significant boost to the company’s stock: At $70, the analyst’s price objective for Teva’s American depositary receipts is 36.2 percent above their mid-September trading value. Cacciatore “is plugged in to a very complex and noisy group of companies,” observes another admirer.