Consumer – Food: First

Andrew Lazar captures the sector’s top spot for a tenth straight year, a feat that earns him a place in the All-America Research Team Hall of Fame. “He is very detail oriented, but he doesn’t lose sight of the big picture,” asserts one backer. Although the Barclays analyst holds a generally cautious view, he has managed to pluck a handful of strong bets for his clients. “We are recommending names where shareholders should benefit from some form of structural change going forward,” Lazar says. Kraft Foods, which the 46-year-old has had on his buy list since May 2009, at $22.38, fits this profile. This month the Northfield, Illinois–based outfit will split into separate companies: a North American groceries operation, Kraft Foods Group, and a global snacks distributor, Mondelez International. The stock rocketed to $41.51 in late August, gaining 22.3 percent in the trailing 12 months and 85.5 percent since the original call. Lazar upgraded Omaha, Nebraska–based ConAgra Foods from neutral to buy in June 2011, at $23.08, believing that earnings would get a boost from the company’s appetite for acquisitions. The shares rose 8.8 percent, to $25.11, through August 2012.