< The 2014 All-America Research TeamKimberly GreenbergerMorgan StanleyFirst-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 2

Team debut: 2013Kimberly Greenberger of Morgan Stanley debuted on this roster last year as a runner-up, and now she leaps all the way to second place, matching her performance in Retailing/Specialty Stores, where the analyst has claimed the No. 2 position every year since 2007. She isn’t especially enthusiastic about the prospects for U.S. broadlines and department stores at the moment. Although the group climbed 8.4 percent over the 12 months through mid-September, it lagged the nation’s broad market by 9.1 percentage points. “We believe competition among retailers will stay intense and only the best executors will thrive,” the analyst says, “so we remain selective in the stocks we rate overweight.” One name that does not earn that distinction is Plano, Texas–based J.C. Penney Co., a general merchandizer that Greenberger has advised investors to sell since she assumed coverage in June 2012. The retailer has a long way to go to get back to positive earnings per share, she explains, and Greenberger is just not optimistic that it can get there. The shares tumbled 21.5 percent over the year through mid-September, to settle at $10.85. “Kimberly is able to bring critical analysis to an industry better known for fleeting fashion fads and trends,” observes one advocate.