Hidemaru Yamaguchi Citi
The buy side says: “He understands both the technical and financial aspects.”
In first place for an 11th year running is Hidemaru Yamaguchi, 46, of Citi. “His broad range of knowledge and long-term relationships with company managements make his comments more credible than others’,” insists one client. Yamaguchi, who tracks 23 stocks (the same number as he did last year), says he no longer sees the sector as defensive — meaning, the companies won’t tend to outperform in bear markets — thanks to the large number of patents about to expire. “We expect it to become a growth sector again starting in 2013,” he says. Astellas Pharma is his top pick among pharmaceuticals; the Tokyobased company “has no patent risk, is proactive in terms of investor relations, and boasts a strong oncology and overactive-bladder product pipeline,” he says. — Leslie Kramer
