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Pinakin Parekh
J.P. Morgan
First-place appearances: 2

Total appearances: 3

Analyst debut: 2011

Claiming the top spot for a second year running is Pinakin Parekh, 34. The J.P. Morgan analyst earns investor praise for his “nimble opinions,” as one puts it, and for his long-term coverage of Coal India. In April 2011 soft pricing and ongoing regulatory hurdles for power companies were exerting downward pressure on earnings, so Parekh downgraded the Calcutta-based coal supplier from neutral to underweight, at 333.28 rupees. He has maintained that position despite volatility in trading, and over the 12 months ended mid-October 2013, the shares fell 16.7 percent, to 283.45 rupees, trailing the sector by 6.7 percentage points. “Pinakin is very good in terms of consolidating global trends and policy changes,” asserts another fan, “and analyzing their impact on company operations and, most important, valuations.” Of the 12 companies under his coverage, the researcher is bullish on select metals and mining names. In early October he deemed Mumbai-based Tata Steel undervalued at 303.25 rupees and named it a top pick. On the back of steady steel pricing from a limited new supply, he explains, the company has implemented cost reductions, stabilized its balance-sheet debt and raised its free cash flow. More broadly, “I expect the sector to outperform over the next 12 to 18 months,” he says. It trailed the S&P BSE Sensex Index by 20.2 percentage points year to date through mid-October, declining by 14.4 percent. Parekh joined J.P. Morgan in 2006 from Citi, where he covered Indian metals. He earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Calcutta and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow. “Pinakin’s coverage is in-depth, and he communicates his ideas in a timely fashion,” avers another money manager. — Ben Mattlin