Meredith Adler  Barclays Capital The buy side says: “Meredith knows these stocks better than anyone else.”

This year marks a full decade at No. 1 — and inclusion in the All-­America Research Team Hall of Fame — for Meredith Adler of Barclays Capital. “Meredith has a long history covering these names, so she knows the companies inside and out,” extols one happy investor. Adler, 57, pounded the table on Big Lots in January, at $32.09, dubbing the Columbus, Ohio–based closeout retailer a potential leveraged-­buyout candidate. The following month, published reports stated that Big Lots had been approached by potential buyers and was considering putting itself on the auction block. In mid-­February, with the stock up 27.3 percent, to $40.84, and ahead of the sector by 27.2 percentage points, Adler downgraded it to neutral, on valuation. In May, Big Lots took itself off the market; by the end of August, the stock had slid 17 percent, to $33.90, and trailed the sector by 15.5 percentage points.