Kyung (Sonia) Song & team
Nomura
Unranked last year, Nomura returns to the roster in second place. Newcomer Kyung (Sonia) Song helms the seven-analyst team, which covers 38 companies and plans to expand to 45 by the end of the year. “They produce comprehensive research reports that are extremely useful,” declares one investor. Based on a near-term recovery in oil prices, the squad expects the sector to surge 10 to 15 percent in the second quarter. “For the momentum to carry on into the second half, however, the prospects for global growth must improve,” says Song, who is headquartered in Hong Kong. Therefore “we view the timely and supportive macro policies in the U.S., Japan and China as key catalysts driving sector and stock performance.” Among the names the researchers recommend is China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., better known as Sinopec, on “its earnings benefit from China’s fuel-pricing reforms, value accretion from parent asset injections and 5.5 percent dividend yield,” she says.— Pam Baker