Kapil Singh
Nomura
First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 2

Analyst debut: 2011

Unranked last year, Kapil Singh of Nomura returns at No. 3, the position he won in 2011. With nine companies in his sector portfolio, Singh helped clients score big by backing Amara Raja Batteries, a lead-acid battery manufacturer based in Tirupati. The analyst launched coverage with a buy rating in September 2012, anticipating high domestic demand for replacement batteries and reduced imports from China thanks to the declining rupee. By the middle of October 2013, the shares had rocketed an astonishing 228.7 percent, on a split-adjusted basis, to 308.95 rupees, while the sector climbed 17.6 percent. Singh continues to recommended Amara Raja. “His forecasts are based on data-intensive research,” attests one portfolio manager. Another top pick is Bharat Forge, a Pune-based power train and chassis components maker, largely on its ballooning export revenues. “We are advising clients to remain more focused on stocks that derive a large percentage of earnings from outside India,” Singh says. — Ben Mattlin