NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 10/05/09 -- In the tightest race in seven years, Barclays Capital holds on to the top spot on the All-America Research Team, Institutional Investor's annual ranking of America's top equity analysts as determined by the world's leading money managers.

The complete list of winning firms and analysts can be found on our web site, www.iimagazine.com.

BarCap wins 46 total team positions, only two more than second-place J.P. Morgan. The last time the top two firms finished so closely was in 2002, when Citigroup/Salomon Smith Barney bested Lehman Brothers by one position. One year later, Lehman advanced to No. 1 and stayed there until 2008, when fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis forced the firm into bankruptcy. Barclays bought the North American assets of Lehman Brothers Holdings, including its equity research operations, and the acquisition enabled BarCap to claim credit as team leader in last year's survey.

Although J.P. Morgan remains in second place, the firm adds six team positions, for a total of 44. BarCap picks up only one position this year.

BofA Merrill Lynch Research returns in third place, with 37 positions, one more than last year.

The biggest gains can be found at UBS and Credit Suisse. UBS picks up seven positions, for a total of 33, and moves up a notch to fourth place overall. Credit Suisse is the real stunner, gaining 14 more positions, for a total of 31. The firm jumps from seventh place to fifth.

Institutional Investor's 38th annual All-America Research Team covers ten categories and 65 investment sectors. Results are based on responses from more than 3,000 individuals at more than 890 firms, including 87 of the 100 biggest U.S. equity managers. Our respondents manage an estimated $10.2 trillion in U.S. equities.

The complete list of winning firms and analysts can be found on our web site, www.iimagazine.com.

For more information about this ranking, please contact Alyssa Walker at awalker@iiresearchgroup.com or +1 (212) 224-3677.