< The 2014 All-China Research TeamHanzhi DingBank of America Merrill LynchFirst-place appearances: 0
Total appearances: 2
Analyst debut: 2013Rising from runner-up, Hanzhi Ding of Bank of America Merrill Lynch claims third-place honors. He works out of Hong Kong, reporting on ten Chinese energy names and keeping tabs on many more companies throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region. “That’s unique,” says one asset manager. “Hanzhi brings a broader regional perspective to investors than [do] other analysts.” Ding is positive on the prospects for Beijing-based China Oilfield Services. As the only in-house driller of parent China National Offshore Oil Corp. — which is a state-owned enterprise — China Oilfield is well positioned to benefit from a recent deepwater oil discovery in the South China Sea, the analyst reasons. His price objective of HK$27 implies a 79.5 percent upside to the stock’s value late last month. Another favorite is Keppel Corp., a Singapore-based manufacturer of offshore oil rigs that has significant exposure to China. Ding forecasts solid growth for the company and assigns its stock a target price of 14.20 Singapore dollars. It was trading at S$9.17 late last month. “His insights are worth heeding,” observes another backer.