Extel Publishes 2026 Asia (Ex-Japan/ANZ) Corporate Results

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- Today, Extel, formerly Institutional Investor Research (II Research), announced the results of their 16th Asia (ex-Japan/ANZ) Executive Team survey, revealing Asia's leading CEOs, CFOs, Investor Relations Officers, Investor Relations programs, ESG and company board attributes that best uphold corporate governance standards and facilitate investment into their company. 195 companies (up from 126 in 2025) attained a published position in the categories listed above to become an Honored company, and 55 of those companies were granted the coveted Most Honored Company recognition.

To earn the designation of Most Honored Company a company must achieve a weighted score of 15 or more points across the six categories in the combined, buy-side and sell-side rankings, wherein each first-place position is worth three points; second place, two; and third place, one.

A total of 5,581 investors, portfolio managers and analysts from 1,249 voter firms participated in this survey, nominating a total of 2,520 companies (up from 1,668 in 2025) and 2,728 (2,367 in 2025) individuals across 23 sectors (five more have been added in 2026 to better differentiate sectors). This included 4,743 buy-side professionals from 1,090 buy-side companies, with an estimated $2 trillion in Asia (ex-Japan) equities, and 838 sell-side analysts from 159 companies.

Emerging trends identified:

1.Increasing Performance Divergence: The 2026 results reveal a significant "differentiation gap," with fewer companies achieving "All-Star" status (1st ranked across all six performance categories). This shift highlights the effectiveness of our enhanced methodology in pinpointing specific operational strengths and weaknesses, moving away from a "generalist" perception to a more granular assessment of leadership and IR.

2.IR as a Strategic Shield: An intriguing trend in the 2026 data shows that over 60% of top-ranked IROs represent companies where the CEO and CFO did not achieve a top ranking. This suggests that elite IR teams are successfully acting as a strategic buffer - managing complex investor expectations and high-level technical discussions independently, thereby allowing their C-suite to remain focused on core operational management.

3.Surging Engagement in Smaller Markets & Sectors: The 2026 survey marks a turning point in investor attention. While core sectors remain stable, voter volume has almost doubled in the Telecommunications, Autos, and Insurance industries. Geographically, this is mirrored by a significant spike in participation for Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the Philippines. For the first time, the "participation gap" between Mainland China and smaller Asian markets is closing, creating a more competitive landscape for our Asia results.


Results Highlights - Most Honored Companies by Sector

SECTOR RANK COMPANY WEIGHTED SCORE

Apparel, Luxury Goods & Specialty Retail
1China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp. (Mainland China)29
2Topsports International Holdings (Mainland China)24
3Li Ning Co. (Mainland China)22

Autos & Auto Parts
1BYD Co. (Mainland China)32
2Hesai Group (Mainland China)22

Banks
1Bank Central Asia (Indonesia)34
2China Merchants Bank Co. (Mainland China)34
3Bank Mandiri (Indonesia)15

Biopharmaceutical
1WuXi XDC Cayman (Mainland China)40
2WuXi AppTec Co. (Mainland China)32
3WuXi Biologics (Cayman) (Mainland China)21

Chemicals
1Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. (Mainland China)16

Construction, Engineering and Machinery
1CTF Services (Hong Kong)28
2Jiangsu Hengli Hydraulic Co. (Mainland China)26

Consumer Services (incl. Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure)
1Yum China Holdings (Mainland China)48
2NagaCorp (Cambodia)15

Consumer Staples
1China Resources Beer (Holdings) Co. (Mainland China)46
2Chongqing Brewery Co. (Mainland China)43

Durable Goods
1Midea Group Co. (Mainland China)37
2Haier Smart Home (Mainland China)30

Electrical Components and Equipment
1Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (Mainland China)42
2Sungrow Power Supply Co. (Mainland China)16

Healthcare Equipment & Services
1Angelalign Technology Inc. (Mainland China)51

Insurance
1Fubon Financial Holding Co. (Taiwan)39
2AIA Group (Hong Kong)24
3Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China (Mainland China)16

Internet
1Tencent Holdings (Mainland China)38
2Alibaba Group Holding (Mainland China)23
3Bilibili (Mainland China)22
4JOYY (Mainland China)18

Metals, Mining and other Materials
1Zijin Mining Group Co. (Mainland China)30
2China Hongqiao Group (Mainland China)25
3JL MAG Rare-Earth Co. (Mainland China)17

Non-bank Finance
1Huatai Securities Co. (Mainland China)36
2China International Capital Corp. (Mainland China)17
3Qfin Holdings (Mainland China)15

Oil & Gas
1Petronet LNG (India)33
2PetroChina Co. (Mainland China)20
3Gail (India) (India)19

Property (incl. REITs)
1China Resources Land (Mainland China)31
2China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services (Mainland China)26
3China Overseas Land & Investment (Mainland China)20

Technology Hardware
1Xiaomi (Mainland China)40
2Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Taiwan)21

Technology IT Services, Software and AI
1Tencent Music Entertainment Group (Mainland China)50

Technology Semiconductors
1Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (Taiwan)47
2SK hynix (South Korea)15

Telecommunications
1China Unicom (Hong Kong) (Mainland China)25
2China Mobile (Mainland China)19
3China Communications Services Corp. (China Comservice) (Mainland China)18
4Taiwan Mobile Co. (Taiwan)16

Transportation & Infrastructure
1S.F. Holding Co. (Mainland China)57
2ZTO Express (Cayman) (Mainland China)28

Utilities & Alternative Energy
1ENN Energy Holdings (Mainland China)15
2Kunlun Energy Co. (Mainland China)15

Carvin Lee, Commercial Lead for Asia, said“As investor engagement in Asia hit record highs in 2025, the 'perception gap' between companies and their shareholders has become a defining factor in market success. Our latest survey results demonstrate that in a more competitive capital landscape, elite IR teams are the primary drivers of institutional trust. We have adapted our 2026 methodology to meet this new reality-updating our sector frameworks and scoring systems to better distil the feedback of over 5,500 buy-side and sell-side professionals. These changes ensure that an Extel ranking remains the definitive benchmark for executive leadership and IR performance in Asia.”

For the full list of published winners, please visit

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About Extel

For over 50 years, Extel (formerly Institutional Investor Research) has been a trusted leader in proprietary benchmark research and rankings. Providing independent feedback on sell-side and corporate performance, Extel is the premier choice for validating qualitative market intelligence across the investment community. With a global presence spanning Europe, Emerging EMEA, Asia Pacific, North America, and Latin America, Extel continues to set the standard in independent market insights.

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