Renato Antunes Brasil Plural First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 2

Team debut: 2013 Advancing from runner-up to third place is Renato Antunes of Brasil Plural, who keeps sights on nine Brazilian metals and mining stocks and additional companies in Pulp & Paper, where he merits a runner-up position this year. Antunes downgraded Gerdau in September 2013, advising investors that the Rio Grande do Sul–based steelmaking giant provided little visibility regarding its North American operations. Sure enough, sales in that region proved to be soft, and through July the shares tumbled 21.7 percent, to 13.35 reais, trailing the sector by 12 percentage points. Going forward the São Paulo–based analyst prefers Vale. Shares of the Rio de Janeiro–based miner — which leads the world in production of iron ore — have been unfairly beaten down, he contends, on concerns about iron-ore prices and lagging Chinese demand. The stock closed July at 32.55 reias, and Antunes forecasts an increase to 40 reais. “He is a rising star that should be heeded,” declares one portfolio manager.