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Alexander Hugh,
Nicholas Nelson
& team
UBS
"They maintained an intellectual consistency in what was a difficult and turbulent year."
Alexander Hugh, 37, and Nicholas Nelson, 40, shepherd the 40-strong UBS squad up one notch to No. 1 — the team's second appearance on top in the past three years. Hugh also co-captains (with Bosco Ojeda) the crew that ranks third in Small- & Midcapitalization Stocks, and Nelson directs a runner-up team in Equity Strategy. The London-based analysts track 270 stocks — that figure is unchanged from last year — and their current favorites include London's AstraZeneca. They believe that new chief executive Pascal Soriot, who joined in October from Swiss rival Roche Holding, will reenergize the pharmaceuticals giant; they also champion the products in the company's pipeline, and the stock's low valuation and 7 percent dividend yield. The shares ended last year at 2,909.50p, and the team believes they will rise to 3,600p. Also warranting an enthusiastic endorsement is London-based financial services firm Standard Chartered, which Hugh calls "an old-fashioned growth story, with capital, liquidity and funding all robust." The stock ended last year at 1,573.50p, roughly 13 percent below the analysts' target price of 1,800p. — Paul Sweeney