Karen Li has been named head of China equity research at JP Morgan in Hong Kong.
The appointment “reinforces the bank’s commitment to China as the country accelerates its economic and financial market reforms,” JP Morgan said in a release on Friday.
Li has been with the US bank for a decade, holding increasingly senior roles across a number of coverage areas, including infrastructure, utilities and regional and small cap stocks.
In addition to her new role, she will continue as head of infrastructure and industrials research for Asia, while "driving the bank’s China equity research strategy and leading the effort to expand JP Morgan’s A-share coverage," the bank said.
Li will report to James Sullivan, head of equity research Asia ex-Japan.
In a call with FinanceAsia, Sullivan noted that Li became a managing director last year and is stepping into the new role at a time when the China market is undergoing a historic transformation.
“The normalisation of the market will be accompanied by a massive reallocation of funds by global institutions to China,” Sullivan said, adding that a senior and seasoned analyst of Karen’s caliber will help Adrian Mowat, the bank’s chief Asia and emerging markets strategist, present JP Morgan’s China story in a unified fashion.”
“With the pace of change in China accelerating, the equity market presents enormous potential for our clients,” Sullivan said in the release. “We’re delighted to have someone of Karen’s caliber help our clients capitalise on the opportunities in an increasingly complex market.”
Prior to joining JP Morgan in 2005, Li worked at Goldman Sachs in Japan. She holds an MBA from Harvard and is a registered CFA charterholder.
