Manuel Salazar & team  Santander

Santander took top honors in this sector for the past two years under the direction of Alonso Aramburú, who moved to BTG Pactual in December. Aramburú was replaced by Manuel Salazar, and the Lima-based quartet finishes in third place this year. “They delve into niche companies,” notes one money manager, and here is a case in point: In November the researchers reiterated their buy rating on Corp. Pesquera Inca, or Copeinca, a Peruvian fishery that trades on the Oslo exchange, saying the company’s cost-cutting measures would improve profitability. By the end of July, the stock had risen 3.8 percent, from 40 Norwegian kroner to Nkr41.50, and led the sector by 3.5 percentage points.