< The 2014 All-America Research TeamBryan KeaneDeutsche Bank SecuritiesFirst-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 6

Team debut: 2009In his strongest showing to date, Bryan Keane of Deutsche Bank Securities rises from third place to No. 2, thanks in part to his stock-picking abilities, investors say. From his base in San Francisco, the analyst monitors 24 U.S. computer services and information technology consulting names, providing “solid, even-handed analysis,” as one fund manager puts it. IT services companies are seeing volume growth as a result of vendor consolidation, Keane advises, but that expansion brings pricing pressures as clients use the bigger-volume deals to negotiate for reductions. Off-shoring and cloud computing, namely in Software-as-a-Service, are further challenging the group, he adds. “However, we remain constructive long term that these top-tier IT services providers will develop a detailed road map to adapt to these trends and capitalize on the secular cloud theme,” says the researcher. One name he favors is Blackhawk Network Holdings, a Pleasanton, California–based provider of prepaid products and payment services. Keane urged investors to buy the shares in May, believing that their valuation does not reflect Blackhawk’s “industry-leading top-line growth and international growth prospects,” he explains. By mid-September the stock had leaped 13.4 percent, to $28.19, while the sector was nearly flat. He projects a further rise to $34.