The Best Analysts of the Year

摘要

For providing what one investor calls "the most comprehensive coverage of the consumer sector," Natalya Zagvozdina captures her fifth straight No, 1 win. Money managers also praise the Renaissance Capital analyst's unwavering support of dairy product producer Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods. Zagvozdina, 36, first recommended the stock in June 2006, based on the company's strong management team, and highlighted the call throughout 2007. The share price shot up 63.6 percent last year but started to slip in January 2008, owing to weak fourth-quarter results and global economic uncertainty. Zagvozdina remained resolute, saying the stock would recover quickly, and it did. By April 30 it was up 13.2 percent from its mid-March low, for a gain of 191.1 percent since Zagvozdina's original call, outperforming the sector by 120.8 percentage points. Rising one notch to second place is Troika Dialog's Victoria Grankina, who publishes "brilliant research pieces," according to one portfolio manager. In February 2007, Grankina urged investors to buy X5 Retail Group, Russia's biggest supermarket chain, on strong growth prospects. By April 30,2008, its global depositary receipts were up 41.8 percent.