SECOND TEAM
Atsushi Takagi Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co.
Atsushi Takagi spent last year in the runner-up position; this year the Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. analyst returns to the No. 2 spot he held from 2007 through 2009. One investor says that Takagi’s role with the government gives him an edge over rival analysts: “He often serves as an adviser on government committees and has strong insight into government’s thinking — and Japan is policy-driven.” In June the analyst reiterated his underweight rating on Tokyo’s Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., at ¥753, on declining earnings. Through February, Takasago’s shares sagged 2.5 percent, to ¥734, and trailed the sector by 15.5 percentage points.
Polling and tabulation of data as well as reporting on the sector profiles were completed before the March 11 Tohoku earthquake.