Renato Mimica & team BTG Pactual First-place appearances: 4
Total appearances: 7
Team debut: 2007 In its first top finish since 2009, BTG Pactual leaps from runner-up to capture the crown. São Paulo–based Renato Mimica — whom one fund manager describes as “like a man on a mission” — shepherds the team of three analysts. The 29-year-old researcher holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Brazil’s Fundação Getúlio Vargas. He joined the firm in 2011 from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, whose No. 3 squad he led that year before moving to BTG. Mimica and his crew also claim third place in Transportation this year. They follow six Latin American capital goods names and plan to expand their tracking of non-Brazil players in the near future. Clients laud the group for maintaining its skepticism on Brazilian auto hauler Tegma Gestão Logística. The analysts have held a neutral rating on the shares since April 2013, largely owing to deteriorating profitability in the company’s integrated-logistics segment. By late July 2014, Tegma’s shares had plummeted to 18.69 reais, tumbling 35 percent during a period when the sector leaped 19.6 percent. They remain cautious going forward, pointing to a year-over-year drop in domestic auto production and sales. One favorite, on the other hand, is Tupy, a Brazil-based auto-parts supplier, thanks to its diversification, international exposure, earnings momentum and free-cash-flow growth. They reiterated their buy rating on the stock in June, at 18.81 reais, with a price target of 28 reais. “Renato is an honest and independent thinker,” cheers another backer.