Yuji Matsumoto
Nomura Securities Co.
Yuji Matsumoto of Nomura Securities Co. rises from runner-up, where he spent the past three years, to third place. Investors cite his penchant for finding diamonds in the rough, often by taking an interest in “small companies that nobody else looks at,” according to one ally. Top picks, however, include such familiar names as Maruichi Steel Tube, one of the biggest Japanese makers of steel pipe. Matsumoto predicts that Maruichi will benefit as the industry enters “an era of intense competition in Asia after mid-2013,” because the company is “very cost competitive in the pipe business and has maintained high profit margins for a long time.” Moreover, the Osaka-based outfit’s executive team emphasizes shareholder return on investment, the analyst notes, and “this is a good selling point for investing.” — Paul Sweeney