Although Citi falls from first place to second, Peter Kurz’s Taipei-based team of nine continues to win praise from buy-side loyalists. “We really rely on their clear perspectives and well-thought-out stock preferences,” says one. The researchers, who cover 74 stocks, upgraded TPK Holding Co. from neutral to buy in April 2012, at a split-adjusted 237.34 Taiwan dollars, largely on the launch of Windows 8 software for tablet computers. By the end of April 2013, the Taipei-based touchscreen manufacturer’s shares had vaulted 152.4 percent, to NT$599, and shot past Taiwan’s broad market by 145.4 percentage points. The squad is also bullish on such banks as Taipei’s Mega Financial Holding Co., which are reclaiming international corporate loans from Chinese vendors, Kurz explains. — Ben Mattlin |
Country & Regions – Taiwan: Second