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Masao Muraki
Deutsche Securities
"His views are without bias, and his earnings estimates are the most elaborate by far."
Masao Muraki, who leads the lineup for a third year running, “tracks trends of global financial institutions and financial regulations, and so is able to present his views in a global context,” explains one loyalist. The Deutsche Securities researcher, who covers 12 companies and keeps sights on another 20, is also hailed for his “extensive knowledge of overall financial markets,” as one Tokyo-based economist puts it. In March 2012, Muraki upgraded T&D Holdings from hold to buy, at ¥1,022, citing rising interest rates and the Tokyo-based life insurer’s surging sales growth. By mid-March 2013 the stock had advanced 11.8 percent, to ¥1,143, and the 36-year-old continues to recommend it. Muraki also maintains a buy on Sony Financial Holdings, a Tokyo-based provider of a variety of insurance and banking products, dubbing it “the most undervalued life insurance stock.” — Ben Mattlin