Nobuyuki Saji Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co.
The buy side says: “No one is better at putting Japan’s economy in a global context.”
Nobuyuki Saji of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. extends his streak at No. 1 to 11 years in a row. The economist, who turns 53 this month, is noted by one investor for his “global vision,” gleaned from field trips around the world, particularly to China and developing Asia. But Saji certainly doesn’t neglect Japan. In fact, one supporter credits him for reporting on supply-chain disruptions after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami “quicker than any other macro and sector analysts, and the media — his detailed estimates of the damage and impact on the Japanese economy and its industries were useful and realistic.” Saji is monitoring the widening spread between Hong Kong and Shanghai interbank lending rates, theorizing that “if a credit crunch occurs in China, it may infect Brazil.” (China is Brazil’s largest trading partner.) “If this risk becomes a reality, the European financial crisis may go into a second round,” he says. — Carolyn Koo