< The 2015 All-Asia Research Team
Total appearances: 11
Team debut: 1997The 11 Citi analysts under the direction of Hong Kong–based Kam Keung (Oscar) Choi garner top honors for a sixth straight year, impressing investors as “very focused and dedicated,” as one fund manager says. From offices throughout the region — in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand — they cover 130 property stocks, advising that a weakening economy in China and an oversupply of property companies are creating new divisions between winners and losers in this sector. “China’s property market is undergoing consolidation,” explains Choi, 37. “It is now time for developers to transform their business models and focus more on sustaining growth and defensiveness. While these are challenging times for those with old business models, these are good times for quality names that can emerge as potential market consolidators.” Several property developers fit this bill, the squad believes, including China-based Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties; and Hong Kong’s China Overseas Land & Investment, China Resources Land and Sunac China Holdings. Choi and his team are “active in organizing trips to places others would not even consider,” observes another admirer.