Perhaps it's the spirit of the holiday season, or maybe a fresh outlook just seems appropriate ahead of a new year, but many investment professionals are far more upbeat about 2014 than they were about 2013. At Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which makes its third consecutive appearance at No. 1 on Institutional Investor's Top Global Research Firms roster (right), head of global research Candace Browning is anticipating another year of gains in many stock markets. Bear markets have prevailed in China for years, but the analysts deemed the best at covering Chinese companies say now is a good time to buy (page 59). And asset managers in the Middle East, while not oblivious to the many challenges that lie before them, are nonetheless optimistic that their industry will continue to grow (page 62).
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