Maria Kolbina
VTB Capital
After a year atop the roster, Maria Kolbina slips to second place; the VTB Capital analyst also claims the No. 2 spot in Consumer. “She takes a long-range view, which suits our approach,” says one fund manager in Moscow. Kolbina, who follows four real estate stocks, has been bullish on homebuilders. Her top pick for 2012 was Guernsey, Channel Islands–headquartered Etalon Group, one of the largest developers of Russian residential properties; the global depositary receipts surged 16 percent, from $4.70 to $5.45, and outpaced the Micex Index by 10.8 percentage points last year. Going forward, though, she prefers Moscow-based builder PIK Group, partly because of its improving balance sheet. “Her management contacts are superior,” affirms another buy-side enthusiast. — Ben Mattlin