EM Polls and Awards

Emirates Telecom’s opportunistic purchase of a 45% stake in Swan Telecom stood out in 2008, in what was a poor year for the country’s equity and bond markets. The deal neatly enabled it to gain instant access to the world’s second largest mobile market.

The IPO of coal firm Indika Energy in June 2008 provides a textbook example of perfect timing, with the commodity cycle still in full swing. The deal ended up 15 times oversubscribed and boasted a quality order book.

China Railway Construction Corp.’s dual Hong Kong and Shanghai IPO wowed investors back in March, and despite dramatic declines in both stock markets, its shares have held up impressively.

The US$1 billion debut bond from Hong Kong & China Gas was a major highlight in Asia’s G3 bond markets last year. Amid concern over the futures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the borrower took advantage of a small window of opportunity and found strong investor support.

Asiamoney is pleased to announce the results of its 9th annual Headhunters Poll. Following a rigorous auditing process, Asiamoney accepted a total of 725 valid questionnaires from senior executives within Asia-Pacific’s financial services industry...

In what promises to be a tough 2009, the need for good corporate governance will only get stronger as investors grow more choosy about which companies to buy into. ASIAMONEY’s Corporate Governance Poll reveals the firms that were most highly regarded across Asia during 2008. Bernice Lam reports.

Bumrungrad International and Minor International dazzle for prudent financial management. Meanwhile analysts favour Banpu Coal’s adroitness in spotting an opportunity and Precious Shipping’s Khalid Hashim’s conservative leadership.

Despite being in vulnerable sectors, Sasa and Pacific Basin look well set to ride out poor economic conditions. Meanwhile the financial efficiency of HSBC and the diplomacy of its regional head Vincent Cheng make them clear stand-outs.

Megastudy and LG Household & Healthcare have been prominent for their loyal customer followings, while KT&G and LG Electronics’ boss Nam Yong win plaudits for their overseas expansion efforts.

Retail firms JB Hi-Fi and David Jones stand out for astute leadership, while analysts are awed by the strategy and shareholder value created by Origin Energy and its managing director, Grant King.

Varun Shipping, Thermax and Infosys Technologies are at the forefront for this years best managed company plaudits, while Om Prakash Bhatt from State Bank of India is the best executive.

Strategic positioning and depth in quality have enabled St. Shine Optical, Delta Electronics and Acer to stand out in 2008. Meanwhile, the semiconductor industry, and corporate Taiwan at large, will look to TSMC's Morris Chang for leadership through the difficult times ahead.