< The 2014 All-America Research TeamPhilip NgJefferiesFirst-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 1

Team debut: 2014Philip Ng registers his first appearance on this lineup with an impressive second-place finish. The Jefferies analyst, who ranked among the Rising Stars of Wall Street Research in 2013 and 2011, “is a very hard worker, with frequent and timely e-mail and voice mail updates, weekly written reports and increased personal visits,” one backer insists. Ng’s coverage universe spans 14 names, and in November he reiterated his long-standing buy rating on Crown Holdings, at $43.36. Management at the Philadelphia-based food-container maker had just announced its intention to acquire Spanish rival Mivisa Envases, and he deemed the move positive for earnings, free cash flow and expansion into European markets. The transaction closed in April, and Crown’s stock advanced to $51.47 in July before tumbling to $45.47 in early August — a price dip that he argues made them even more desirable. By mid-September the shares had rallied to $48.95, and Ng forecasts a rise to $56. The researcher also favors Atlanta-based Graphic Packaging Holding Co., thanks to the paperboard packaging and label producer’s strong free-cash-flow generation and high dividend yield.