< The 2016 All-Japan Research Team
Akiko Kuwahara
Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
First-Place Appearances: 6
Total Appearances: 12
Analyst Debut: 2008
For a sixth consecutive year, Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Akiko Kuwahara, 42, claims first place. She “is very knowledgeable about carbon fibers, particularly as used increasingly in automobiles,” shares one client, who points to her research on Teijin as an example. Kuwahara has long encouraged investors to buy shares of the Osaka-based polyester and fibers producer, throughout the past year highlighting its earnings recovery on the back of declining raw-materials prices and management’s jettisoning of unprofitable product lines. During the 12 months through mid-March, the stock slipped 5.2 percent, to ¥386, but that loss was far better than the domestic broad market’s decline of 16.8 percent. She believes that a price of ¥500 is justified. Another long-standing preferred name in the analyst’s 12-company coverage universe is Toray Industries of Tokyo, a maker of leather and synthetic yarn. Although its shares fell 8.2 percent over the 12 months through mid-March, to ¥934.60, Kuwahara anticipates a rise to ¥1,300 by year’s end, crediting high demand for its carbon fibers and textiles. “She provides the best client service, with steady and dependable stock insights,” applauds another booster.