Jinsong Du & team
Credit Suisse
First-place appearances: 0

Total appearances: 11

Team debut: 2000

After three years at runner-up, Credit Suisse jumps to second place, marking its best showing since 2004. Hong Kong–based Jinsong Du and his 15-strong crew turned bearish on the Chinese property space in October and have stayed that way, concerned about oversupply and possible negative impacts from Beijing’s economic restructuring and financial reforms. The nation’s property shares subsequently tumbled 16.4 percent, though late April, compared with the wider sector’s 3.5 percent decline. Accordingly, says Du, the analysts recommend that investors “stick with blue chips, because their track record should provide a better downside amid market uncertainties.” Clients appreciate the Credit Suisse group’s insight, crediting the “profound knowledge they have about market fundamentals and the way they look through the official data around the Chinese property market,” in the words of one portfolio manager. “They distinguish between short-term and long-term developments and formulate interesting investment recommendations.”