Navin Killa & team
Morgan Stanley
Climbing from third place to second is Navin Killa’s crew of six at Morgan Stanley. “Navin has been able to simplify a rather complex and competitive industry,” explains one fund manager. “I also like the consistent research approach for the sector across the whole region.” With analysts based in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore and Sydney, the squad covers 40 companies. The market segment offers “a solid combination of growth, coming from increasing usage of wireless data, and yield, at reasonable valuations,” Killa says. The team sees room for data-driven revenue expansion this year and is focusing on whether rising volume can translate to increased income and on capital expenditures, especially as technology advances rapidly. The researchers are biased toward such emerging markets as India, Indonesia and the Philippines, where smartphone penetration is poised to deepen.— Carolyn Koo