Satya Pradhuman Cirrus Research

Satya Pradhuman climbs one rung to reclaim the No. 3 position he last held in 2006, when he was with Merrill Lynch; he left to start his own firm, Cirrus Research, the following year. The Tarrytown, New York–based strategist pegged the small-cap food sector for margin expansion in August 2009, given declining input costs and steady pricing. Among the stocks he recommended was TreeHouse Foods, which he deemed a bargain, at $32.17. Shares of the Westchester, Illinois–based maker of Cremora and Mocha Mix percolated 29 percent, to $41.50, through August 2010. “He’s ahead of the curve,” cheers one champion.