Luiz Carvalho HSBC First-place appearances: 0
Total appearances: 1
Team debut: 2014 Debuting in third place is HSBC’s Luiz Carvalho, who wins client praise for his “detailed analyses of companies under coverage and his nonconsensus views,” as one fund manager says. In the run-up to presidential elections in October, political considerations have been driving performance for Brazilian oil and chemicals in 2014, notes São Paulo–based Carvalho. He expects that trend to continue through year end so is cautious on the group, in general, while identifying select opportunities. The analyst is touting natural gas and oil producer QGEP Participações, which is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro; and Canada’s Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp., whose oil and gas exploration and production activities are centered in Colombia. “QGEP is the best risk-versus-reward balance play under our coverage,” Carvalho explains. As for Pacific Rubiales, he advises that the shares are nearing a fair valuation and cites “some concerns in the corporate governance front,” but the researcher foresees “some free options from the STAR program and Rubiales field.” The company’s proprietary synchronized thermal additional recovery, or STAR, technology was recently tested in Colombia’s largest oil field, off the coast of the Llanos Basin.