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Jeffrey deGraaf
Renaissance Macro Research
First-place appearances: 9

Total appearances: 13

Analyst debut: 2001

The front-runner for a ninth consecutive year is Jeffrey deGraaf, 45, of Renaissance Macro Research. “There is no one better at presenting and interpreting the market’s mechanics,” declares one pleased client. DeGraaf believes that “the world is recovering from an ongoing balance-sheet contraction out of commercial-credit facilitators.” As this change will most significantly effect marginal borrowers, he says, “the secular trend [is] shifting back in favor of developed-world assets, away from emerging-markets equities and, importantly, commodities.” Sectors likely to benefit from this swing include financials, health care and industrials. The fourth quarter, he adds, will “be dominated by an improved euro zone,” to the benefit of European banks and U.S. asset managers, as well as aerospace and defense and autos names. DeGraaf “is particularly good at identifying multiyear leadership stocks and sectors,” another supporter reports. He “has a knack for looking at key indicators like credit markets and what the Federal Reserve is doing, and seeing patterns on where stock prices are headed,” this loyalist adds. — Paul Sweeney