Jamie Baker  J.P. Morgan The buy side says: “Jamie thinks like an investor.”

Jamie Baker of J.P. Morgan touches down in first place for a fourth consecutive year. “Airlines are always difficult to invest in, and he focuses on return on capital, while a lot of the others just worry about day-to-day data,” explains one portfolio manager. Another adds that “he’s able to tell you when a downturn is a buying opportunity — or your last, best chance to get out.” Baker, 43, initiated coverage on Air Lease Corp. in May, at $28.50, with a neutral rating and a note of caution: Shares of the Los ­Angeles–based aircraft-­leasing agent were overvalued, he believed, and investors should hold off until a “better entry point” presented itself. The stock took a dive, falling 20 percent, to $22.81, by the end of August. During the same period the sector declined 25.3 percent. Baker “is the best stock picker in the group — which is no easy task, given the sector’s volatility — and he has made good trading calls.”