Young Chang & team UBS
UBS slides from second place to third. Led by Seoul-based Young Chang, the eight-member crew follows some 70 stocks with “steadfast conviction,” according to one money manager. The analysts upgraded Samsung Heavy Industries Co. from neutral to buy in October, dubbing the stock a bargain at 27,260 South Korean won in light of strong demand from SHI’s oil-company customers. Shares of the Seoul-based manufacturer of drillships and oil tankers surged 38.5 percent, to 37,750 won, and sailed past South Korea’s broad market by 22 percentage points, through March. The team remains bullish, noting that inflation appears to be in check and demand should only improve. — Ben Mattlin