Katsuhiko Ishibashi Deutsche Securities
The buy side says: “He knows the supply chain very well.”
Debuting atop the roster in this new sector is Deutsche Securities researcher Katsuhiko Ishibashi, who is also a runner-up in Paper & Textiles. Ishibashi joined Daiwa Institute of Research as a small-caps analyst in 1994 after earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tokyo’s Waseda University; he moved to Deutsche a dozen years later. The 41-year-old follows 14 companies and says that number will rise this year. His coverage is “consistent and reliable,” observes one ally. Cautious on the sector in general because of inventory oversupply and high exposure to European markets, Ishibashi nonetheless is positive on companies that produce graphite electrodes, which are used in the steel industry. Top pick: Tokyo’s Tokai Carbon Co., which he has been recommending since February 2010. “We expect margin improvement of graphite electrodes from price hikes due to tight supply,” he says. The stock led the broad market by 6 percentage points in the 12 months through February 2012. — Pam Baker
