< The 2014 All-Japan Research Team

Hisaaki Yokoo
Goldman Sachs Japan Co.
First-place appearances: 3

Total appearances: 14

Analyst debut: 2001

Hisaaki Yokoo of Goldman Sachs Japan Co. marks his 14th straight appearance on this lineup with a repeat third-place showing. His longevity is earned in large part on the strength of his detail-oriented work, which is particularly laudatory, investors say. ?His voice mail updates on company visits and the data he compiles on the industry and commodities prices are quite helpful,? one wealth manager offers. Japan?s chemicals names have not fared well, Yokoo acknowledges. The sector retreated 19.9 percent from its May 2013 high point through mid-March, against the broad market?s 9.1 percent decline. ?Petrochemicals earnings have been depressed by a deteriorating supply-demand balance,? he advises, and ?growth potential of electronics materials has been shrinking.? He has, however, been singing the praises of Zeon Corp., which manufactures electronic components, specialty resins and synthetic rubbers. The Tokyo-based company has ?constantly enjoyed better margins than peers at its petrochemicals business,? Yokoo explains. Moreover, thanks to massive orders from consumer electronics giants Apple of the U.S. and Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea, ?its [liquid-crystal-display] film business has been expanding sharply,? the analyst adds. Although Zeon?s shares have been dragged down in the sector sell-off ? declining by 6.6 percent year to date as of mid-March, to ?920, but still outperforming their peers by 3.1 percentage points ? Yokoo still favors them.

See also Hisaaki Yokoo's profile in the 2013 All-Japan Research Team and the 2012 All-Japan Research Team.