Arndt Ellinghorst & team, Credit Suisse

It’s a second straight second-place appearance for Arndt Ellinghorst and his London-based group of three. “The Credit Suisse team is often ahead of the curve,” observes one follower. With 14 companies under coverage, the analysts are applauded for an April downgrade of the sector from overweight to market weight, based on the global slowdown in volume momentum. By the end of the year, it had fallen 23.4 percent and Europe’s broad market, 15.3 percent. Despite their cautious stance on the sector, however, the researchers urged clients to buy Daimler in late September, after the German automaker’s shares had skidded 36.3 percent, from €50.32 to €32.06. They closed the call in mid-November, at €32.93, after management warned of headwinds that would buffet global sales in 2012. The stock’s 2.7 percent advance, though slight, still beat the sector by 1.1 percentage points over the period. The Credit Suisse team “has had excellent stock selection in the area of autos, especially concerning Daimler,” cheers one backer.