< The 2014 All-China Research TeamJinsong DuCredit SuisseFirst-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 3

Analyst debut: 2012In his strongest showing to date, Jinsong Du seizes the No. 2 position on this list, advancing from runner-up. The Credit Suisse analyst wins kudos from one portfolio manager for his “original ideas on China’s property sector and stocks, often with unique angles. He also chooses not to rely just on companies’ guidance and market data, but [uses] channel checks with various and cross-sector sources.” Shifting from his bearish outlook, Du assumed a neutral stance on China’s real estate companies in July. The shares lagged the broad market by 27.7 percentage points over the 12 months through June, tumbling 15.1 percent, but the analyst saw help ahead in the form of anticipated central government support for the housing market. Indeed, in September, China’s policymakers put in place measures to help ease mortgage rates, relax down-payment requirements, encourage the expansion of homeownership and provide support to the nation’s housing provident fund, which is designed to assist workers in buying property. “These may not trigger a sectorwide rally,” the Hong Kong–based researcher acknowledges, “but do provide some downside protection on housing sales in China and therefore downside protection for China’s overall economy.” Du is still bearish, however, on long-term structural issues like oversupply and affordability. Given his belief that the performance gap among Chinese property developers will widen, he prefers blue chips with relatively attractive valuations, such as Hong Kong–based China Resources Land and Shenzhen’s China Vanke Co.