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Saurabh Kumar
J.P. Morgan
First-place appearances: 1

Total appearances: 3

Analyst debut: 2011

Saurabh Kumar of J.P. Morgan tops this list for the first time, rising from second place and earning investor praise for his “extensive knowledge of the sector, and superb management relationships and top-level executive access,” in the words of one money manager. The 33-year-old earned an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, in 2003 and joined J.P. Morgan upon graduating. He is advising clients that the macroeconomic environment should no longer be counterproductive for the Indian real estate group. “There is definite value in select stocks going forward,” he adds. One Kumar favorite has been TTK Prestige, a Bangalore-based kitchen appliances manufacturer that has a property and investment arm. Since February 2012, Kumar has recommended that investors buy TTK Prestige because fundamentals in the Bangalore residential real estate segment have been far better than those for other markets. Sure enough, over the 12 months through mid-October, the shares climbed 5.6 percent, to 3,314.95 rupees, while the sector collapsed 30.1 percent. — Katie Gilbert