Nico Lambrechts & team, BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research
Nico Lambrechts guides the BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research quintet from runner-up back to second place; the London-based team, which tracks 23 stocks across all sectors it covers, also finishes third in Tobacco. The analysts’ reports “serve as timeless reference pieces, and make this team the go-to for industry background and trends,” declares one portfolio manager. In August the researchers urged clients to buy Belgian brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, at €38.37, on improving sales in Brazil and the U.S., among other factors. By the end of the year, the stock had bolted 23.3 percent, to €47.31. “Very timely call!” cheers one happy investor.