Andrew Chu, Thomas Sykes & team
Deutsche Bank
Climbing to second place after three straight years in third is the Deutsche Bank foursome co-directed by Andrew Chu and Thomas Sykes in London. “Their thorough and in-depth analysis focuses heavily on fundamentals and macro industry data, which has made for some excellent sector calls,” declares one buy-side enthusiast. The team’s top picks last year included Brenntag, a chemicals distributor based in Germany, and Ireland’s Experian, an information services provider. Those stocks rose 40.5 percent and 13.6 percent in 2012, and the analysts continue to recommend them. They believe growth this year “will be pretty benign” and therefore like companies that are “cash generative, and have high barriers to entry and good pricing power,” Chu says. Issues the team is watching closely for impact on the sector include government outsourcing and health care reforms in the U.S. — Pam Baker