Bin (Ben) Lin & team
Morgan Stanley
Reclaiming the second tier after falling to runner-up last year is the Morgan Stanley foursome conducted by Hong Kong–based Bin (Ben) Lin. These teammates “have a wide, strategic vision of their industry,” explains one supporter. “They have the data like everybody else, but they can also make sense of it.” The analysts report on 25 stocks. “We have been cautious on the insurance sector so far this year, amid the macro uncertainties across Asia, with interest rates being an important driver,” says Lin. The group is promoting quality companies with a diverse product mix — especially those that rely on agency distribution. One example: AIA Group, a Hong Kong–based provider of financial services, and life and property/casualty insurance. The shares were trading at HK$34.45 in late April, and the researchers have a target price of HK$38. — Leslie Kramer