SECOND TEAM

Arifumi Yoshida Citi

Arifumi Yoshida lands in second place for a second straight year. The Citi researcher wins points for an August 2009 upgrade of Aichi-based Aisin Seiki Co. from hold to buy, at ¥2,400. The recommendation was premature, as the transmission and brake supplier’s primary customer, Toyota Motor Corp. of Aichi, was soon buffeted by recalls. But Yoshida stuck to his guns, arguing that other automakers would fill the gap, and he was right. By the end of February 2011, the stock had surged to ¥3,115, advancing 29.8 percent and leading the sector by 24.2 percentage points. “He is a rising star, with solid earnings forecasts and good stock calls,” cheers one grateful client.

Polling and tabulation of data as well as reporting on the sector profiles were completed before the March 11 Tohoku earthquake.