Toshihiko Okino UBS
The buy side says: “His industry experience always serves him well and enables him to speak with authority.”
Toshihiko Okino leads the lineup for a ninth consecutive year; the UBS analyst also places third in the Construction sector. “He keeps monitoring the property market with the big picture in mind,” observes one buy-side enthusiast. Government stimulus measures have driven up demand for housing, Okino notes, and he expects that trend to last “as long as the low-mortgage-rate environment continues.” In addition, “I’m telling clients to buy large real estate developers because we expect the Tokyo office vacancy rate to peak in the second quarter of this year, along with the peak of new supply,” he says. Okino covers seven stocks, and among the ones he is recommending in the current liquidity-driven market is Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., owing to the Tokyo-based outfit’s high return on equity, among other considerations. — Leslie Kramer
