[HONG KONG] China stocks closed at their highest level since 2015 on Monday (Aug 18), extending a months-long rally driven by easing trade tensions and abundant liquidity, while pushing market capitalisation to a record peak.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.9 per cent to 3,728.03, its strongest close since August 2015. The CSI 300 Index also climbed by 0.9 per cent to a ten-month peak.
The Shanghai benchmark has now advanced some 22 per cent since the low struck in early April, buoyed by the extension of the US-China trade truce, Beijing’s crackdown on excessive competition, and a rotation of funds from bonds into equities, which brokers say has flooded the market with liquidity.
Total market capitalisation of over 5,400 China-listed companies has risen above 100 trillion yuan (S$17.9 trillion) for the first time, reflecting both price appreciation and a surge in listings over the past decade.
Winnie Wu, Bank of America’s chief China equity analyst, said that positive developments on the geopolitical front and clearer policy direction from Beijing have all helped compress the equity risk premium and trigger a re-rating, despite the rally running against fundamentals odds.
“There are renewed hopes on domestic retail flows,” she wrote in a note to clients.
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In a sign of heightened investor activity, onshore turnover reached nearly 2.8 trillion yuan on Monday, the highest since October when Beijing’s sweeping stimulus measures triggered a sharp rally.
Hao Hong, chief investment officer at Lotus Asset Management, said the market may face near-term resistance due to profit-taking pressure, but added that many remain hopeful the bull run can extend despite headwinds.
Leading the rally on Monday onshore, the rare earth sector surged 5.3 per cent to a fresh high since December 2021. The AI sector jumped 3.8 per cent and the information technology sector rose 2.5 per cent.
In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index closed down 0.4 per cent to give up earlier gains, weighted by the property sectors,.
The Tech Index rallied 0.7 per cent, while the EV sector jumped 1.9 per cent. REUTERS
