J.P. Morgan Jumps to Top of Institutional Investor's Latin America Research Team

Brazil-Based Rivals BTG Pactual and Itau BBA Tie for Second Place in Annual Ranking


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Aug 5, 2014) -  J.P. Morgan leaps two places to lead the 2014 Latin America Research Team, Institutional Investor's 22nd annual ranking of the region's best sell-side analysts. Its researchers appear in 24 of the survey's 25 sectors, failing to rank only in Agribusiness.

Complete results can be found at www.institutionalinvestor.com/rankings.

Two firms tie for second place: BTG Pactual, which rises from third, and Itaú BBA, which falls from first. They each claim 22 positions.

HSBC is the year's biggest gainer. It adds seven spots, for a total of 11, and lands in seventh place overall.

A total of 145 analyst teams from 13 sell-side research providers are included in this year's results.

The 2014 Latin America Research Team reflects the opinions of some 865 investment professionals at more than 450 buy-side institutions that collectively manage an estimated $402 billion in Latin American equities and $271 billion in Latin American debt.

Pedro Martins Jr., director of Latin American equity research at J.P. Morgan in São Paulo, says a number of issues are weighing on investors' minds. "Clients are concerned with the cost of money moving higher," says Martins, who also directs the team that claims second place in Equity Strategy. "Interest in discussing consequences for Latin American equities is high with regard to slower [real gross domestic product] growth, weaker currencies and higher long rates for countries."

Also on the minds of investors: a possible correction of "valuation excesses," he adds.

For more information contact Alyssa Walker at awalker@iiresearchgroup.com or (212) 224-3677.

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The 2014 Latin America Research Team