Toshihiko Okino UBS

Unranked last year, Toshihiko Okino captures third-place honors; the UBS analyst is also No. 1 in Housing & Real Estate. Fund managers applaud his May 2011 reiteration of a long-standing buy on Tokyo’s Maeda Corp., at ¥258, on its postearthquake rise in operating profits. (Okino first recommended the civil engineering and building concern’s stock all the way back in November 2009.) The share price had bolted to ¥321 by the end of February, for a 24.4 percent gain that bested the sector by 15.8 percentage points. “He stuck to his guns ­— and he was right,” cheers one supporter.  — Ben Mattlin

RUNNER(S)-UP
- Hiroki Kawashima SMBC Nikko Securities
- Yoji Otani Deutsche Securities