Lai See | BAML analysts win again in Institutional Investor survey

The anxious wait is over, and the results of Institutional Investor’s All-Asia Research Team, the magazine’s annual ranking of the region’s best sell-side analysts, reveal that Bank of America Merrill Lynch has retained its crown for the third consecutive year. The firm captured 33 positions, with 16 of its analyst teams considered the best in their sectors. Runner-up was Credit Suisse, which came seventh last year, followed by Morgan Stanley, which jumped from sixth to third, and UBS. Deutsche Bank slipped from fourth to fifth, while Citi fell from second to sixth. JP Morgan also suffered a big fall, from second to  eighth.

Mining and money

In 2010, mining rock star Robert Friedland said in a keynote speech at the Mines and Money conference that “Hong Kong will become the largest mining finance market in the world”. That dream has yet to reach fruition. Meanwhile, a flyer for the Mines and Money Beijing conference later this year notes that a recent report from the National Development and Reform Commission predicts that Chinese outbound investment will grow to US$88.7 billion this year. It adds that last year 59.5 per cent of outbound investment went into natural resources. This, for the moment, makes China a magnet for mining finance.

Sweet dreams