Andrew Wood & team, Sanford C. Bernstein

The buy side says: “Andrew loves digging into the nitty-gritty of companies.”

Andrew Wood guides his Sanford C. Bernstein trio to a third straight appearance atop the roster; the 47-year-old analyst also leads the No. 1 team in Food Producers. Working from Singapore with associates in London and New York, “we cover the globe — almost!” exclaims Wood. Among the four companies the analysts track, investors draw particular attention to the team’s coverage of Henkel, the German beauty and oral-care products company first recommended in 2006 and reiterated most recently in ­January 2011, on the belief that strong sales growth seen in 2010 would continue even as other companies in the sector performed roughly in line with the broad market. Henkel’s shares slipped 2.6 percent last year, compared with the sector’s loss of 5.4 percent. Wood’s “passion for his work is infectious!” cheers one buy-side ­supporter.