< The 2016 All-Japan Research Team

Total appearances: 9

Team debut: 2011

At No. 3 is Nomura’s Takaomi Kono, who advances from runner-up. “She is experienced and smart,” remarks one portfolio manager, “and her detailed research makes a dull industry become interesting.” Kono, 41, dubs Osaka-based corrugated and paperboard packaging producer Rengo Co. a top pick among the 13 names in her coverage universe. She changed her rating on the stock from neutral to buy in early February, citing lower materials and fuel costs, improving margins on flexible and heavy-duty packaging, and Rengo’s growing international business. By the middle of last month, the shares had jumped 15.6 percent, to ¥587, while Japan’s broad market fell 7.7 percent. The analyst forecasts that they could reach ¥680 in the next 12 months. “Her scientific understanding of technical processes, in general, and forest products, in particular, makes her stand out from the pack,” contends another institutional investor.