< The 2016 All-Asia Research Team
Anil Daswani & team
Citi
First-place appearances: 3
Total appearances: 12
Team debut: 2003
Anil Daswani, 45, shepherds his Citi team in Hong Kong from runner-up to second place, marking the group’s strongest showing since 2013. Of the 279 companies the 17 analysts track, one standout is Macao-based Sands China. Elevated to a top pick in January, largely thanks to the company’s high dividend yield, shares of the multiuse casinos and resorts operator had soared 31.9 percent by late April, to HK$28.30, outperforming their domestic peers by 22 percentage points. Daswani and his associates continue to recommend that investors buy Sands China, assigning the stock a price target of HK$31. “They make good calls, particularly in the gaming sector, with accurate estimates and timely updates,” affirms one fund manager. Also in January, Citi dubbed BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) a top buy recommendation, crediting the lender’s surplus capital as well as the likelihood of interest rate increases. As of late last month, the stock was up 11 percent, at HK$24.30, and the researchers anticipate that it could reach HK$38 by the end of this year.