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Karen Chan & team
Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
"She knows the sector well and is not swayed by short-term market movements."
Hong Kong–based Karen Chan leads the Bank of America Merrill Lynch team to top honors for a fourth year in a row. “Karen is always trying to pass on her knowledge of the industry, not just saying ‘buy’ or ‘sell,’” notes one ally. “She is very helpful in organizing meetings with companies so that we understand them better, and she has us meet with operational people, who are in the field, rather than the investor relations person or head-office staff.” The ten-member troupe covers 30 companies and is cautious on the sector owing to a challenging investment environment and regulatory headwinds; stocks will most likely “range trade” because of weak fundamentals, says Chan, 38. “We believe this will continue, and sustainable recovery or rerating may not happen in the near term,” she adds. AIA Group is the analysts’ top pick for year, thanks to the Hong Kong–based multiline insurer’s strong capital position and promising growth profile, Chan explains. — Leslie Kramer