Costas Theodorou & team, Crédit Agricole Cheuvreux
Debuting in second place is the Crédit Agricole Cheuvreux threesome run by Costas Theodorou out of Athens; this is the first year since 2008 that the sector has garnered enough votes to warrant publication. The CA Cheuvreux analysts follow 28 stocks — none of which delivered positive returns last year — and that number “is likely to diminish in 2012,” Theodorou predicts, “as the market activity has declined.” Resolution of the euro zone crisis will mainly benefit Greek nonfinancial stocks trading at attractive multiples, he adds: “Equity investors are underweight on Greek stocks today, and when the macro risk declines, they will revisit good-quality, deep-value stocks.” Gaming concern Opap – Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics and luxury goods maker Folli Follie, both of which are based in Athens, “fall in this category, and thus we have a bullish view on them, with upside of more than 50 percent during 2012,” Theodorou adds.