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China stocks tumble again after premier Li Keqiang fails to mention crisis China stocks tumble again after premier Li Keqiang fails to mention crisis
(about 9 hours later)
The sell-off on Chinese stocks continued on Tuesday despite government efforts to bolster the markets amid investor unease that premier Li Keqiang failed to mention the deepening crisis in a statement on the economy. Hundreds of Chinese companies suspended dealings in their shares in a bid to arrest a frenzy of selling on China’s main stock markets, which have lost more than a quarter of their value since June.
Before the market opened, Li said in comments on a government website that China had the confidence and ability to deal with challenges faced by its economy, but had nothing to say on the three-week plunge that has knocked around 30% off Chinese shares since mid-June. The move, considered by many analysts to be another stumbling response to a full-blown share price crash, sparked a nervous reaction in commodity markets and sent copper prices to a six-year low.
Beijing has supported a series of market operations to halt a sharp decline in share values on the Shanghai and Shenzen exchanges over the past four weeks, but each one has been criticised for failing to restore market confidence.
Chinese shares fell on Tuesday after premier Li Keqiang’s failure to mention the deepening market crisis in a statement on the economy. Before the market opened, Li said in comments on a government website that China had the confidence and ability to deal with challenges faced by its economy. But he had nothing to say about the three-week plunge that has knocked about 30% off Chinese shares since mid-June.
Related: Beijing's desperate attempts to control the stock market will end badlyRelated: Beijing's desperate attempts to control the stock market will end badly
After a brief pause to the slide on Monday, the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen fell 1.8% on Tuesday, while the Shanghai Composite Index shed 1.3%. After a brief pause to the slide on Monday, the CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen fell 1.8% on Tuesday, while the Shanghai Composite Index shed 1.3%. The ChiNext growth board, home to some of China’s headiest small-cap valuations, fell 5.1%.
The ChiNext growth board, home to some of China’s giddiest small-cap valuations, fell 5.1%. Commodities followed the downward march of shares, with the benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange falling nearly 6% to $5,261.50 a tonne – its lowest since July 2009. The metal, used in power and construction, recovered a little of its earlier losses later in the day, but reflected falls in nickel and other industrial metals.
In an attempt to halt the slide, China has arranged a curb on new share issues and orchestrated brokerages and fund managers to buy massive amounts of stocks, helped by China’s state-backed margin finance company, which in turn has a direct line of liquidity from the central bank. In an attempt over the weekend to halt the slide in domestic markets, China has arranged a curb on new share issues and enlisted brokerages and fund managers to buy massive amounts of shares, helped by China’s state-backed margin finance company, which in turn has a direct line of liquidity from the central bank.
Analysts said the government was taking a big risk. “China’s leadership has doubled down on its efforts to prop up equity prices because it believes that its own credibility is now coupled to continued gains on the markets,” said Mark Williams of Capital Economics in a report. The suspension of trading in some of the worst-hit firms was another tactic adopted by regulators that has so far failed to restore confidence. On Tuesday another 173 firms announced trading suspensions after the market, bringing the total to almost 950, or more than a third of all listed firms on the two main exchanges.
“It is following a risky path. Our view remains that a market rally cannot run ahead of economic fundamentals indefinitely,” he said. “There is a good chance that the market rescue efforts are seen to be a failure in a few months’ time.” Analysts said the government was taking a big risk. “China’s leadership has doubled down on its efforts to prop up equity prices, because it believes that its own credibility is now coupled to continued gains on the markets,” said Mark Williams of consultancy Capital Economics.
“I don’t see any change in the downward trend,” said Qi Yifeng, analyst at consultancy CEBM. “It’s only a matter of whether the market will fall more slowly, or continue to go south in a free fall.” “Our view remains that a market rally cannot run ahead of economic fundamentals indefinitely,” he said. “There is a good chance that the market rescue efforts are seen to be a failure in a few months’ time.”
Global investors have grown increasingly worried that a crash could destabilise the world’s second-biggest economy and the source of much of the world’s economic growth.Global investors have grown increasingly worried that a crash could destabilise the world’s second-biggest economy and the source of much of the world’s economic growth.
The official Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday that China’s major insurance firms ploughed tens of billions of yuan into blue-chip exchange-traded funds (ETF) and large caps on Monday. “I don’t see any change in the downward trend,” said Qi Yifeng, analyst at consultancy CEBM. “It’s only a matter of whether the market will fall more slowly, or continue to go south in a freefall.”
China Life Insurance bought a net 10 billion yuan ($1.6bn) in index funds, while China Pacific Insurance Group and other insurers each invested more than 1 billion yuan, the newspaper said. The official Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday that China’s major insurance firms ploughed tens of billions of yuan into blue-chip exchange-traded funds (ETF), and large listed companies on Monday.
That helped the indexes rise just over 2% on Monday, but the relief was shortlived. China Life Insurance bought a net 10 billion yuan (£1bn) in index funds, while China Pacific Insurance Group and other insurers each invested more than 1 billion yuan, the newspaper said.
Lei Mao, assistant professor of finance at Warwick Business School, said government measures to support the market distorted the allocation of funds and trading behaviour and could create the conditions for further sharp falls. The purchases helped the indexes rise just over 2% on Monday, but the relief was shortlived.
Lei Mao, assistant professor of finance at Warwick Business School, said government measures to support the market distorted the allocation of funds, and trading behaviour, and could create the conditions for further sharp falls.
“Even an optimistic investor should not participate in the market for now,” he said.“Even an optimistic investor should not participate in the market for now,” he said.
Traders are increasingly unnerved by the unusually large number of Chinese companies asking for their shares to be suspended from trading, fearing that many of them are looking for excuses to sit out the market turmoil.Traders are increasingly unnerved by the unusually large number of Chinese companies asking for their shares to be suspended from trading, fearing that many of them are looking for excuses to sit out the market turmoil.
About a quarter of the roughly 2,800 companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen had filed for a trading halt by the close on Monday, and on Tuesday the Securities Times said another 200 had announced a suspension. About a quarter of the 2,800 companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen had filed for a trading halt by the close on Monday. On Tuesday, the Securities Times said another 200 had announced a suspension.
Investors were also reacting to news of tightened restrictions on futures trading on a major small-cap index. Investors were also reacting to news of tightened restrictions on futures trading on a major index of smaller companies.
The rapid decline of China’s previously booming stock market, which had more than doubled in the year to mid-June, had become a major headache for President Xi Jinping and China’s senior leaders, who are already struggling to avert a sharper economic slowdown. The rapid decline of China’s previously booming stock market, which had more than doubled in the year to mid-June, has become a major headache for President Xi Jinping and China’s senior leaders, who are already struggling to avert a sharper economic slowdown.
Even China’s bullish securities regulators admitted that markets had become too frothy before they turned down, but the slide quickly showed signs of getting out of hand. Even China’s bullish securities regulators admitted that markets had become frothy before they turned down, but the slide quickly showed signs of getting out of hand.
A surprise interest rate cut by the central bank at the end of June, relaxations in margin trading and other “stability measures” did little to calm investors, many of whom have borrowed heavily to play the stock market. A surprise interest rate cut by the central bank at the end of June, relaxations in margin trading and other “stability measures” did little to calm investors, many of whom are individual investors who have borrowed heavily to play the stock market.
In a series of announcements on Saturday, China’s top brokerages pledged to collectively buy at least 120 billion yuan of shares to help steady the market, and said they would not sell while the Shanghai Composite Index remained below 4,500, a level last seen on June 25. In a series of announcements on Saturday, China’s top brokerages pledged to collectively buy at least 120 billion yuan of shares to help steady the market, and said they would not sell while the Shanghai Composite Index remained below 4,500. The index has traded below that level since June 25.
Underlining scepticism beyond mainland China about the sustainability of the measures, Hong Kong listed shares of Chinese brokerages took a beating on Monday.
In addition, 28 companies that had been approved to launch IPOs announced they had suspended their plans. (Writing by Will Waterman; Editing by Alex Richardson)