Economics & Strategy – CEEMEA Equity Strategy: Third

Dropping from first place to third is the 31-member Citi troop directed by Moscow-based Kingsmill Bond; he is also leader of the team that claims the No. 3 spot in Emerging-Europe Equity Strategy. One money manager appreciates the fact that the team looks beyond the boundaries of CEEMEA. “They do an excellent job exploring — and explaining — the frontier markets like Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kenya and others,” this investor says. “By identifying, categorizing and analyzing capital flows and liquidity, they’ve shown what’s investable.” Examples include Netherlands-based Zhaikmunai, an oil and gas producer with operations in Kazakhstan, and Nigeria’s Zenith Bank. The former is recommended on the strength of its earnings, recently introduced share-buyback program and dividend policy, Bond says, while the latter has a robust balance sheet and an executive team that’s “on top of its game.” The strategist left Citi in April for Sberbank CIB. — Paul Sweeney