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Michael Pickup
& team
Barclays
"Mick has the clear vision and true expertise others lack."
In first place for a second consecutive year is the Barclays duo headed by Michael Pickup, 41. Following 16 stocks, two more than a year ago (and with plans to add more in the year ahead), the London-based team stands out for "recent great calls on the seismic stocks," in the words of one French fund manager. Case in point: The analysts launched coverage of United Arab Emirates–based Polarcus with an overweight rating in January 2012, at 3.96 Norwegian kroner, partly on its new fleet of seismic-data-collecting vessels. By the end of the year, the stock had cruised to Nkr6.64, for a stunning 67.7 percent advance that left the sector's flat performance in its wake. Polarcus remains a favorite. — Ben Mattlin