Amit DaryananiRBC Capital MarketsAmit Daryanani bounds from runner-up to second place. The RBC Capital Markets analyst “spends a great deal of time understanding the software layers, where the majority of innovation and development is done, and this adds to his ability to score the road map of a company,” explains one buy-side supporter. Daryanani, who works out of San Francisco, is bullish on the sector, on the belief that “Europe will muddle along but not be a disaster, and demand should improve in 2012 versus 2011,” he says. “Our recommendation was to focus more on connector and sensor companies, as they were positioned to benefit from the stabilization of demand and commodity costs.” He upgraded Amphenol Corp. to top pick in December, at $43.53, on valuation and strong growth prospects for the Wallingford, Connecticut–based maker of coaxial cables and fiber optic connectors. By the end of August, the stock had surged 39.8 percent, to $60.87, and Daryanani continues to recommend it.