Karen Tang & team
Deutsche Bank
After four years at No. 1, the Deutsche Bank quintet directed by Karen Tang slips to second place. Last year the team broadened its coverage to include the Philippine gaming market and now reports on 25 stocks, with plans to add to that total in the coming year. “Gaming and lodging is a growth sector in the region,” Tang affirms. That progress will be aided by the expansion of China’s high-speed rail to Gongbei in Zhuhai, which borders gambling hot spot Macau. “Since the opening of the new station [on December 31], Macau has turned around its nine-month trend of declining visitor growth and saw a 2 percent year-over-year increase in visitor growth,” Tang says. These travelers are more likely to stay in Macau longer and spend more money on nongaming activities, such as entertainment and tourist attractions, she adds. Tang “offers unique insights that I haven’t heard elsewhere,” cheers one investor. — Katie Gilbert