The 2014 All-Europe Research Team: Leisure & Hotels, No. 2: Jamie Rollo & team

Jamie Rolloand his team of four slip to second place after an impressive nine-year run at the top. Even so, they maintain a loyal following. “Jamie and his merry cohorts know how to be men of leisure,” quips one admirer, “but are dead serious when it comes to top-notched research on the group.” The Morgan Stanley analysts track 27 stocks from their base in London, and within that universe one of the names they champion is British global travel company Thomas Cook Group. They reiterated their buy stance on the shares in May, reasoning that management’s £1.6 billion ($2.6 billion) plan to raise capital and reduce balance-sheet debt combined with strong results for the six-month period ended March 31, 2013, pointed to a strong showing for the stock. So far, so good. By the end of last year, Thomas Cook had climbed 15.5 percent, to 144.70 pence, against a sector gain of 12.6 percent.