< The 2015 All-Japan Research Team
Hiroharu Watanabe
SMBC Nikko Securities
First-place appearances: 0
Total appearances: 2
Team debut: 2014
Hiroharu Watanabe of SMBC Nikko Securities debuted as a runner-up last year and now rises to third place. The researcher, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international finance from Hitotsubashi University, joined SMBC Nikko in 2010. Previously, he worked for 11 years on the buy side as an analyst covering Japan’s technology equities, first at J.P. Morgan Investment Management (now J.P. Morgan Asset Management) and then at UBS Global Asset Management. In the current environment, where smartphones are proving a less reliable end market for companies in the space, Watanabe says, the increasing use of electronic components in automobiles is the “most realistic postsmartphone application, rather than wearable or smart watches.” The number of these parts in cars will only grow, he believes, given environmental regulations, expanding attach rates for advanced driver assistance systems and higher penetration of infotainment systems. Names that he expects to perform well in this area include Nidec Corp. and Rohm Co., both headquartered in Kyoto; and Tokyo-based Alps Electric Co. In addition, Alps, a maker of camera autofocus actuators, is poised to benefit from the next smartphone-camera upgrade cycle, says Watanabe, 40.
