Takumi Sado
Daiwa Securities Group
After a year in the runner-up position, Takumi Sado reclaims the No. 2 spot. “I rely on his judgment, timely delivery of information and concise replies to my concerns,” asserts one backer. The Daiwa Securities Group analyst is convinced that the yen’s steady weakness will boost the sector, largely offsetting last year’s volume decline. Because smartphones and tablet computers “integrate the functions of other devices, overall volume growth in the consumer electronics industry has been stymied,” Sado explains. “The gap between winners and losers will therefore likely widen as companies vie for shares of a slow-growth market.” Two of his projected winners are Murata Manufacturing Co., an electronic parts maker headquartered in Kyoto, and Osaka’s Nitto Denko Corp., which makes components for touch-screen panels. — Carolyn Koo