The 2013 All-India Research Team: Financials, Second: Ashish Gupta

Rising to second place after two years at No. 3, Ashish Gupta “has the best knowledge in the sector and a lot of conviction in his ideas,” applauds one portfolio manager. In a July report titled “When Easy Money Ends,” the Credit Suisse analyst advised that given the Reserve Bank of India’s recent reversal of its “easy-money stance,” investors should avoid wholesale-funded banks with high valuations because they would experience the strongest impact of that central bank about-face. “They will be forced to curb asset growth in addition to facing margin pressures,” he wrote. Accordingly, at the same time, Gupta highlighted his January 2010 sell rating on Mumbai-based Yes Bank, some 76 percent of whose deposits are short term. The shares cratered 33.8 percent, to 331.10 rupees, through mid-October, and underperformed the sector by 22.4 percentage points. The analyst is sticking with his position. “Given high inflation,” he notes, “the RBI won’t be able to move to an easy-money stance even as it unwinds some of the measures undertaken to stabilize the currency.” — Katie Gilbert