Jody Santiago & team UBS
Down one notch to third place is the UBS squad under Jody Santiago, who is based in Manila. The team’s five analysts monitor 37 companies and are valued for their “thorough numbers, good research, and generally being responsive and helpful,” explains one money manager. The group initiated coverage on Puregold Price Club in November with a buy rating, at 14.68 pesos, dubbing the Manila-based midmarket food retailer a likely beneficiary of increased spending among middle- and low-income consumers. The stock rang up a gain of 39 percent, to 20.40 pesos, and beat the broad market by 21.7 percentage points, through March. “Jody really cares about doing the best for his clients,” insists one ally. For the year ahead the researchers are cautious on power suppliers such as Energy Development Corp., a Taguig-based electricity producer, citing limited growth potential. — Ben Mattlin
