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Trevor Stirling
& team
Sanford C. Bernstein
"The level of detail in their reports is astounding."
The Sanford C. Bernstein trio guided by Trevor Stirling tops the roster for a third year running. Praised by one New York–based portfolio manager for publishing "deep-dive reports on themes that affect the sector, at a time when others obsess over quarterly earnings," the London-based team follows seven companies and expects to add a name or two in the year ahead. "The stocks in my sector offer structurally high long-term earnings growth, and they remain great long-term investments," says Stirling, 51. "However, after four years of significant outperformance versus the market, we are unlikely to see another rerating this year." Even so, the analysts continue to recommend Denmark's Carlsberg and the Netherlands' Heineken, two brewing companies that should benefit from both internal cost-cutting programs and the likely easing of input costs in the coming year. — Katie Gilbert