< The 2015 All-Asia Research Team

Total appearances: 10

Team debut: 2001Morgan Stanley’s 11-member troupe directed by Jasmine Lu repeats in first place, raising the firm’s total number of appearances on this lineup to ten. From offices in Taipei and Hong Kong, the analysts report on 90 companies, winning special praise for their client service efforts. “They never forget my particular interests,” reports one investor, “no matter how long ago I expressed them.” In addition, another admirer says, “it’s a well-run team, producing insightful research.” Moreover, if Lu and her colleagues do make a mistaken call, marvels a third client, “they admit it and still provide information about why they were wrong and how this news will impact the market.” Among their recent successful moves was the November naming of printed circuit board manufacturer Zhen Ding Technology Holding as among the high-tech components makers most beneficially poised to gain from the introduction of wearable technologies, such as U.S. consumer electronics giant Apple’s watch. The stock subsequently took off, rising 28.6 percent through April, to 107 New Taiwan dollars, and leading the Taiwan market by 20.7 percentage points. Going forward, however, the researchers expect that “growth momentum will decelerate,” says the 41-year-old crew chief, after the iPhone 6 cycle winds down. Lu — who also leads Morgan Stanley to its first top finish on the Technology/Hardware roster since 2011 — recommends a more balanced approach between tech and nontech equities, with particular emphasis on defensive “yield plays.”