Tatsuo Yoshida UBS
The buy side says: “Yoshida-san is experienced and knowledgeable.”
Taking first place for a third year running is Tatsuo Yoshida, 52. The UBS analyst is known for “keeping a cool head, particularly after the earthquake,” as one money manager puts it, referring to the March 2011 Tohoku disaster that preceded the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Indeed, just three days after the temblor, Yoshida urged clients not to worry excessively about the short-term negative impact on the auto-supply chain. He pegged a buying opportunity in Daihatsu Motor Co., shares of which had dipped to ¥1,125, reasoning that only 9 percent of the company’s overseas sales relied on Japanese factories. The Osaka-based manufacturer’s production soon rebounded, and its stock shot up 38.5 percent, to ¥1,558, through February; during the same period the sector inched up only 3.2 percent. Yoshida tracks seven stocks — the same number as last year — and has no plans to expand coverage. — Ben Mattlin
