Carlos Eduardo Sequeira & team BTG Pactual
BTG Pactual, which spent the past two years in the runner-up position, rises one rung to third place. Guided by Carlos Eduardo Sequeira, who also pilots the No. 2 team in Technology, Media & Telecommunications, the Rio de Janeiro–based threesome “had lots of good calls last year,” according to one fund manager. At the moment the team is urging clients to buy Vale, a diversified metals and mining corporation headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, and Fibria Celulose, a São Paulo–based pulp and paper company. “We expect Vale’s earnings to improve throughout the year, helped by better volumes and supportive iron-ore prices,” Sequeira explains. As for Fibria, even though “pulp prices are likely to remain flattish in the next 12 months,” he says, “deleveraging will play an important role in the value of the company’s equity.” Sequeira “does the same thing that everyone else does — he writes research, provides models and makes stock calls — he’s just better at it than the other guys,” attests one buy-side enthusiast. — Paul Sweeney
RUNNER(S)-UP
Marcelo Audi & team Santander David Beker, Pedro Martins Jr. & team Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Andrew Campbell, Nilson Teixeira & team Credit Suisse
Guilherme Paiva & team Morgan Stanley