Trina Chen  Credit Suisse

The buy side says: “She really knows the industry, and she has a good track record.”

In first place for a second straight year is Trina Chen of Credit Suisse. “No matter what you ask her, she always gives you well-­considered answers,” says one buy-side backer. “She’s thorough and knowledgeable, and very familiar with the companies and all the key players in the industry.” Chen’s best calls include a January 2010 reiteration of an outperform rating on Yanzhou Coal Mining Co., at HK$17.36, on the grounds that the Zoucheng, Shangdong–based outfit’s newly acquired Australian assets would accelerate growth. She was right: ­Revenue soared 64.2 percent in 2010, to 33.94 billion yuan ($5.21 billion), and net profit skyrocketed 125.4 percent, to 9.28 billion yuan, the company reported in March 2011. By the end of the following month, the stock was up 74 percent since Chen’s reiteration, to HK$30.20, and led the sector by 63.9 percentage points. “She has always provided me with detailed research and timely information,” cheers another advocate.