< The 2014 All-America Research Team

Total Appearances: 8

Analyst Debut: 2003
For a sixth consecutive year, J.P. Morgan’s Joseph Nadol, 42, earns top honors on this list. With 26 companies under coverage, three more than a year ago, the researcher is known for “asking tough and thoughtful questions,” as one portfolio manager puts it. In May, Nadol downgraded B/E Aerospace from overweight to neutral, after management announced that its board was considering strategic alternatives that included a sale or merger of the company and spin-offs of select businesses. B/E also cancelled an investor meeting, and the lack of transparency plus the stock’s high valuation were reasons enough to downgrade, he advised clients. Shares of the Wellington, Florida–based manufacturer, which is the world’s leading provider of aircraft seats and other inside-the-cabin gear, had soared 107.5 percent since he initiated with an overweight rating in December 2012, at $47.80, on double-digit sales growth — outstripping the sector by 47.1 percentage points. The stock subsequently tumbled 13.4 percent, through mid-September, to $84.76, trailing its peers by 11.9 percentage points since his downgrade. That decline prompted Nadol to elevate B/E to overweight as oversold, with a target price of $97. Looking ahead, the analyst favors New York’s L-3 Communications Holdings, a military electronics systems provider, thanks to rallying sales. His price target for L-3 is $140, which represents a 20.9 percent upside to the stock’s value in mid-September. “Joe takes an independent stance,” pronounces another admirer.