At No. 3 is newcomer Kai Qian of China International Capital Corp. Given the nation’s push to promote information technology consumption, Qian says, he is positive on tech stocks, especially in the Internet and software segments. In November 2012 the government announced its so-called smart cities initiative, whose goal is to foster revitalization in part by establishing efficient, advanced IT services in urban areas. Qian believes beneficiaries of this program will include Beijing-based eGOVA Co., which delivers management information and office automation systems; Lenovo Group, a personal computers and handheld devices manufacturer; and Shenyang-based Neusoft Corp., whose products include software engineering services. These companies, he notes, are supporting local governments’ development efforts in the areas of city administration, environmental protection and health care. Kai, who works out of Beijing, adds that rising consumer use of e-commerce, mobile Internet and online gaming is also driving sector expansion. So traditional application-software providers, like Beijing-based AutoNavi Holdings and Beijing-based Kingsoft Corp., are changing their strategies to become Internet service providers. “They can make more money through increased users instead of traditional methods like licenses and selling single products,” he explains. Qian’s four-year tenure at IT services provider Digital China Holdings enables him to approach the sector “from an industry practitioner’s perspective,” cheers one investor. — Carolyn Koo RUNNER(S)-UP Chi Keung (Ken) Hui Geng (Tony) Yang |
