Hiroshi Koba Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co.

Hiroshi Koba was the No. 2 analyst last year in Retailing/Convenience & Specialty Stores; we merged that sector with Retailing/Department & General Merchandise Stores to create one broad Retailing sector, and Koba seizes second place. Investors laud the Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. analyst for his “value-added insights” and “very timely information.” Koba reiterated his buy call on Aoyama Trading Co. in November, at ¥1,206, on the Hiroshima-based apparel retailer’s low price-to-book ratio and improved profitability. The stock had shot up 25.5 percent, to ¥1,514, by the end of February.  — Leslie Kramer