Alexander Ypsilanti & team Morgan Stanley
Alexander Ypsilanti guides the six-member squad at Morgan Stanley up one level to third place. Markets are still highly correlated, the Hong Kong–based team leader observes, so derivatives strategies can be helpful for investors looking to generate returns or manage risk. The analysts recommend put structures on the South Korean and Australian markets, since both have been sensitive historically to global equity markets and put costs there are among the lowest globally. Also, with some risk measures normalizing this year versus last year, “we have seen more investors willing to take outright or relative positions on sectors and themes in the region through custom indexes and baskets,” adds Ypsilanti, who works with colleagues in Mumbai, Singapore and Tokyo. Money managers are impressed. “This is a unique team comprised of knowledgeable and experienced analysts — a key asset in the fast-growing Asian derivatives market,” declares one client. — Carolyn Koo