Maria Kolbina
VTB Capital
Down one notch to second place is Maria Kolbina; the VTB Capital researcher also seizes the No. 2 spot in Real Estate. Considered “the most energetic and nimble analyst in the space” by one grateful fund manager in London, Kolbina pounded the table on Protek in September, at 71 cents, primarily on valuation. Investors were unfairly punishing the Moscow-based pharmaceuticals wholesaler for soft sales at its retail outlets, Kolbina argued, while ignoring future earnings from its pipeline of proprietary drugs. In April the company reported that net profit had soared nearly 50 percent year-over-year in 2012, to 2.81 billion rubles ($87.5 million). By the end of May, the stock had climbed to $1.36, advancing 91.5 percent and besting the RTS Consumer & Retail Index by 73.5 percentage points. Kolbina, who reports on ten companies, remains bullish. — Ben Mattlin