Christopher Muse Jr.BarclaysChristopher Muse Jr. captures second place for a third consecutive year. Buy-siders laud the Barclays analyst for covering a large number of companies — 28, including 15 semiconductor stocks and 13 semiconductor capital equipment stocks — which gives him “a great perspective on the entire semiconductor industry,” as one money manager puts it. Muse upgraded Cymer from neutral to buy in early January, at $50.85, arguing that the San Diego–based manufacturer’s iron grip on the extreme ultraviolet lithography market, coupled with a projected increase in EUV adoption, positioned the company for positive growth. In mid-July, after the stock had risen 19.6 percent, to $60.82, he downgraded it to neutral, on valuation. The shares had dipped to $56.70 by the end of August. “We look for gradual recovery in semiconductor end markets,” he says, “but do expect capital intensity in logic and foundry to continue into 2013.”