Hisaaki Yokoo Goldman Sachs Japan Co.

Moving up one notch to second place is Goldman Sachs Japan Co.’s Hisaaki Yokoo. Praised as “the most reliable and fundamentally refined analyst, who truly knows the business,” as one backer puts it, Yokoo is applauded for reiterating a sell rating on Sumco Corp. in July. He deemed shares of the Tokyo-based silicon-wafer supplier overvalued at ¥1,290 in light of declining capital expenditures thanks to a loss of market share, among other factors. The stock had plunged 32.2 percent, to ¥874, by the end of February. “Yokoo-san has a deep understanding of a broad array of Asian chemicals producers,” says another ally.  — Ben Mattlin