< The 2015 All-America Research Team

Total appearances: 5

Analyst debut: 2011

Deutsche Bank Securities’ Torsten Sløk secures the No. 3 position on this list for a fourth year running. “He is excellent at using charts and graphs to tell the economic story,” attests one portfolio manager. “At the back of his reports, he always provides the investment implications of the data and their effects on the major financial markets.” The macro topics that Sløk deems of primary importance include the Federal Reserve’s policy moves regarding interest rates, “growth recovery, inflation and the outlook for the labor market.” Overall, positive forces such as climbing nonfarm payrolls, falling unemployment and rising earnings all point to improvement in the jobs environment. However, broad downside risk is apparent in weak global performance, China’s slowdown, the strong dollar and a less-than-robust rebound in business investment, the economist adds. Despite these concerns, his message to clients is largely upbeat. “We clearly see the U.S. economic headwinds fading,” says Sløk, 45. Housing markets are gradually advancing, as evidenced by the rally in mortgage and rent prices, he notes. Moreover, an expected Fed rate hike should have a positive impact on core inflation, the analyst believes, and higher longer-term interest rates will help mend banking, corporate and household balance sheets. The consumer price index less food and energy rose 1.8 percent during the 12 months through August, and he predicts that it will reach the central bank’s long-term target of 2 percent by 2017. Ultimately, all of these inputs “are going to boost the stock market,” Sløk advises.