Navin Killa & team Morgan Stanley

After a year in the runner-up position, Navin Killa shepherds Morgan Stanley’s 11-strong squad back to third place. The team covers 36 stocks and has held a positive view on the sector since the beginning of last year, based on the belief that rising demand for wireless data and smartphones will lead to a return to mid- to high-single-digit industry growth after several years of a slowdown. “We also believe wireless data is difficult to offer and, as a result, larger operators are gaining pricing power, which will help reduce competitive intensity,” Killa says. Key picks include China Unicom, India’s Bharti Airtel, Indonesia’s XL Axiata, Malaysia’s Axiata Group, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Taiwan’s Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Killa’s “investment philosophy focuses more on free cash flow and dividend yield, which matches with my style,” says one appreciative client. — Pam Baker