The 2014 Latin America Research Team: Health Care, No. 1: João Carlos dos Santos & team

João Carlos dos Santos & team BTG Pactual First-place appearances: xx

Total appearances: 5

Team debut: 2008

“BTG Pactual has unsurpassed regional expertise,” declares one investor. Little surprise then that for a third year running, the firm claims first-place honors on this lineup. São Paulo–basedJoão Carlos dos Santos和他的队友遵循八拉丁美洲health care names, bringing to bear “greater depth and understanding of market complexities than anyone else on the Street,” another money manager echoes. Fans single out for praise the pair’s long-standing buy position on Chile-based CFR Pharmaceuticals. The analysts first touted CFR in November 2012, at 116.98 Chilean pesos, citing its diverse portfolio of specialty and generic drugs sold in 15 countries throughout the Americas and the U.K., as well as in parts of Asia. Despite periods of volatility, the stock traded roughly in line with its regional peers — until May 2014, when U.S. health care giant Abbott Laboratories announced its intention to acquire the drug developer for $2.9 billion. The shares shot up 46.2 percent the day the deal was announced; it is expected to close before the fourth quarter. In late July, CFR was trading at 186.94 pesos, up 64.2 percent over the preceding 12 months and surpassing the sector by 34.3 percentage points. Looking ahead, 34-year-old Santos and his colleague prefer Brazil’s Qualicorp, owing to the Brazilian benefits manager’s earnings growth. The stock closed at 27.05 reais in late July, and the researchers project a rise to 28 reais.