Country & Regions – China: Second

In second place for a second year running is Deutsche Bank’s crew of 20 co-captained by Jun Ma and Jiangqiao (Michael) Tong; they also co-lead a squad that claims a runner-up spot for coverage of Hong Kong, and Tong pilots a runner-up team in Power. The analysts track 253 stocks and are praised for “analyzing macro themes from a longer-term perspective, ignoring the short-term noises,” in the words of one fund manager in San Francisco. They are bullish for the year ahead, anticipating a recovery “led mainly by investment and exports,” according to a January report, which should lead to outperformance in the infrastructure, raw materials and shipping sectors. Expected government pricing reforms will also benefit energy and other utilities stocks, the Hong Kong–based group noted. One client points to an area where the researchers could improve: “If they can increase their publication schedule, that would be awesome.” — Ben Mattlin