Industries – Chemicals & Oil: Third

It’s five straight years at No. 3 forEmerson Leite, who has amassed more appearances on the All-Brazil Research Team than any other analyst — and all on behalf of Credit Suisse, where he serves as co-director (with Edward Weaver) of Latin American equity research. Leite debuted on the inaugural team, in 2004, at No. 1 in this sector, No. 2 in Capital Goods/Diversified Industrials and No. 3 in Electric & Other Utilities. He has ranked in Chemicals & Oil every year since; in 2005, 2007 and 2008, he also placed in Electric & Other Utilities, for a total of 15 appearances in the past decade. Leite “has accumulated years of experience in analyzing companies and has a good understanding about what happens behind the scenes and how the markets will react to events,” affirms one backer. The researcher, who is based in São Paulo, follows eight stocks. He is bullish on Braskem even though the São Paulo–based petrochemicals producer’s shares already gained nearly 19 percent year to date through mid-July. (The sector tumbled 20.8 percent during the same period.) “Braskem remains one of the cheapest stocks in the Bovespa [Index] and has earnings momentum ahead of itself,” Leite says. It is also “extremely geared to a recovery, both financially and operationally,” he believes.—Leslie Kramer