Simon Cheung & team Goldman Sachs (Asia)

Since 2009, when Simon Cheung was tapped to lead the team, Goldman Sachs (Asia) has bounced between the top two spots: The Hong Kong–based crew was No. 1 in 2009 and 2011, No. 2 in 2010 and again this year. The seven analysts — some of whom are based in Seoul and Singapore — follow 38 conglomerates, and their outlook is “quite mixed,” Cheung reports. Among the ones they view favorably is Hutchison Whampoa, an infrastructure, property and retail developer headquartered in Hong Kong; the stock’s current valuation has “more than priced in the impact of Europe’s slowdown on its port, third-generation communications and retail operations,” Cheung explains. The analysts also like Tianjin Development Holdings, a Hong Kong–based outfit that operates toll roads and utilities in mainland China, among other businesses. A large part of the stock’s appeal is its attractive valuation, the team leader says, and “further upside could be warranted if the group secures quality assets from Tianjin’s municipal government.” Cheung is “a very detail-oriented analyst, and his models are considered among the best in the entire sell-side community,” insists one backer. — Paul Sweeney