< The 2014 All-America Research TeamIvy ZelmanZelman & AssociatesFirst-Place Appearances: 12

Total Appearances: 21

Analyst Debut: 1994Hall of Famer Ivy Zelman, founder and CEO of Zelman & Associates, slips to third place after four years on top. From her base in Cleveland, the analyst doubled her research staff over the past year to cover a whopping 42 U.S. homebuilders and building products companies. “She makes the most of her extensive field-level research and does a great job of eliminating the noise to paint an accurate picture of market fundamentals and emerging trends,” asserts one loyalist. Even so, Zelman acknowledges that “it’s been a tough year for our clients in the category of making money.” Looking ahead, she is sticking with two home improvement and appliance retailing behemoths, Atlanta’s Home Depot and Mooresville, North Carolina–based Lowe’s Cos., citing strong demand from accelerating household growth. Both names are long-standing favorites of Zelman’s, and over the 12 months through mid-September, they advanced 21.6 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively, to $89.38 and $53.13. Over the same period the nation’s broad market gained 7.3 percent.

RUNNER(S)-UP
Michael Rehaut
J.P. Morgan