SECOND TEAM Michael Branca  Barclays Capital

Michael Branca of Barclays Capital clinches second place for a fourth year running. “The reasoning for his recommendations is compelling not trend-following,” observes one ally. Case in point: In February, when many analysts downgraded Dr Pepper Snapple Group of Plano, Texas, Branca reiterated his long-term buy on the soft-drinks distributor, which he had been recommending since April 2009. “We believed that the prior years of brand investment, ongoing productivity and significant below-the-line leverage would allow the company to outperform its peers and the market,” he explains. In early July, after the stock had bubbled up 23.4 percent, from $33.75 to $41.65, and was 13.5 percentage points ahead of the sector, Branca downgraded it to hold, on valuation. It slipped 7.6 percent to close August at $38.48.