Ali Dibadj Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. The buy side says: “Ali has an excellent grasp of the industry value drivers.”
In first place for a third year running is Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.’s Ali Dibadj, who “does the most amazingly comprehensive work of any analyst in any industry I cover,” marvels one buy-side counterpart. Dibadj, 37, told clients to take profits on Avon Products in January, at $28.12, making the case that the New York–based manufacturer and distributor of beauty-care products was losing ground in emerging markets; its reliance on direct marketing puts Avon at a disadvantage in areas where such rivals as Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever, a U.K.–Netherlands company, are increasing shelf space in retail outlets, he says. The stock had tumbled to $22.56 by late August, for a loss of 19.8 percent that trailed the sector by 20.6 percentage points. “Ali brings a unique and refreshing perspective to the space, given his experience as a consultant to the industry and the contacts he made during those years,” observes one ally.