< The 2016 All-Asia Research Team
William Dong & team
UBS
First-place appearances: 8
Total appearances: 24
Team debut: 1994
With a Taipei-based group under the direction of William Dong, 47, UBS retains the No. 2 spot on this lineup it has held since 2014. These nine Taiwan researchers, aided by a handful of industry specialists in Hong Kong, track 77 domestic companies. “Our current advice to clients is to maintain a balanced position,” reports the 47-year-old crew chief. Although “fundamentals are somewhat uninspiring,” Dong acknowledges, the “attractive yields and stable New Taiwan dollar have led to a liquidity inflow, helping to support the market.” After declining 10.4 percent in 2015, and underperforming the regionwide market by 3.5 percentage points, the Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index climbed 2.4 percent year to date through late April. During the same period, Asia-Pacific ex-Japan shares overall gained less than 1 percent. The analysts are recommending that fund managers be selectively overweight on consumer staples and telecommunications names. “Because of his deep understanding of the sectors and local investor sentiments, William provides us with a clear sense of direction for the region,” one supporter attests.
