Derik de Bruin Bank of America Merrill Lynch |
Derik de Bruin, who claimed the No. 3 spot for UBS last year, joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in August 2011 and this year rises one rung to second place. He sees many opportunities for growth, with businesses benefiting from high barriers to entry, pricing power and limited geographic competition. Over the near term, however, the sector will face headwinds from macroeconomic uncertainty. “The midterm outlook still appears more favorable to companies with greater analytical-instrument exposure, relative to consumables vendors,” he says. De Bruin picked up coverage of Hillsboro, Oregon–based instrument maker FEI Co. in March and urged clients to buy the stock, then at $44.33, on strong demand from emerging markets. “The globalization of research and development in these new geographies is helping offset slowing demand in the U.S. and Europe,” he explains. The shares surged 21.2 percent, to $53.71, through August. De Bruin “ties underlying fundamentals with the tremendous strategic shifts currently taking place across the industry,” observes one advocate. |
Health Care – Life Science & Diagnostic Tools: 2012Second