Morgan Stanley today announced that the Firm has once again topped Extel’s Asia Research Team annual rankings. This marks the twelfth consecutive year that Morgan Stanley has led the regional rankings, making it the first company in the 33-year history of the Asia survey to achieve this milestone.
The 2026 Extel Asia Research Team survey ranks the region’s sell-side analysts and reflects the opinions of over 3,600 buy-side investment professionals from 353 institutions. The poll covers Asia, excluding Japan, Australia & New Zealand.
Morgan Stanley’s Asia Research team led the ‘Firm Leaders Table’, ranking in all 35 available categories and tying with three other firms. With 29 teams placing in the top three, the Firm also retained the sole #1 position in the ‘Weighted Leaders Table1’ this year.
The team continued to perform strongly across our entire research offering, spanning thematics and markets strategy, industry research and macroeconomics:
- Since the Thematics category was introduced in 2020, the team ranked #1 in six of the past seven years, underscoring our leadership in identifying mega-themes that drive long-term investment opportunities.
- Ranked #1 in Tech Hardware, and Tech IT Services & Software for 4 consecutive years, reflecting continued leadership in tech and AI research.
- Ranked #1 in Equity Strategy for 9 consecutive years.
- Ranked #1 in Economics for 6 consecutive years.
- Ranked #1 in Telecommunications for 13 consecutive years.
- Ranked #1 in Internet for 6 consecutive years.
- The team also ranked #1 in Hong Kong Research, Quantitative Research, Sustainability (ESG), and Transportation categories.
“We’re proud to be recognized by Extel again and grateful for the continued trust of our clients. As research consumption evolves, we are embedding AI across the research lifecycle, while relying on human judgment to convert our proprietary insights into differentiated, actionable ideas that help clients generate alpha. These results reflect the consistent value our analysts deliver,” said Magdalena Stoklosa, Director of Pan Asia Research, Morgan Stanley.
“Client demand for big-picture, framework-driven research is growing. We remain focused on leading the debate around the defining global themes – from the future of energy and a multipolar world to societal change and technology diffusion,” Ms Stoklosa added.
Morgan Stanley Research’s suite of industry-leading products – Blue Papers, Foundations, Insights, Ideas, and Updates – provides clients with comprehensive analyses to actionable reports, enhanced by AlphaWise, the Firm’s proprietary alternative data platform that drives high-impact research.
1 Weighted Leaders Table: Points total based on weighted Published Positions 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Runner up.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.