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Anil Daswani
& team
Citi
"They are responsive and clear thinking."
Rising one rung to claim the top spot for the first time since 2009 is Citi’s 17-member squad under Anil Daswani, who also helms a runner-up crew in Conglomerates. With 84 stocks in their purview, the Hong Kong–based researchers are appreciated for “developing well-thought-out themes and sticking with them,” as one fund manager in New York puts it. Case in point: Throughout last year they reiterated a long-standing buy on Wharf (Holdings), and it remains a top pick for 2013. The Hong Kong–based real estate developer “benefited from resilient retail sales and better-than-expected office rental trends,” the 44-year-old team captain says, and going forward it is preselling new properties in mainland China. The stock catapulted 77.1 percent last year and trumped the Hang Seng Index by a whopping 54.2 percentage points; in the first four months of this year, it climbed 14.3 percent and led Hong Kong’s broad market by 13.9 percentage points. — Ben Mattlin