China in the throes of investment fever: Ordinary Chinese gripped by buzz of stock market speculation July 2, 2015 Three years ago China was in the grip of a walnut investing bubble. In an episode akin to 17th century tulip mania, wealthy Chinese paid up to £3,000 (¥30,000) for a pair of walnuts which cost £36 (¥350) several years prior. In the belief that rolling a nut in the palm of the hand [...]
China’s equity markets have rocketed: Bubble waiting to burst or the market unleashing its true potential? June 18, 2015 China's equity markets have rocketed – is this a bubble waiting to burst or the market unleashing its true potential? China is a world of contradiction for investors. With its billion-strong population and the second-largest economy in the world, it should have been a marvellous place for investment. Not so. The giant economy [...]
China’s crunch point is approaching fast – CNBC Comment June 15, 2015 China will grow this year at a rate that will put the developed world to shame. It will probably grow next year and the year after that too. But the country’s 7 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is not what the market cares about. It cares about momentum and performance relative to [...]
China National Nuclear Power: China just had its largest IPO since 2011 June 10, 2015 China National Nuclear Power (CNNPC to its friends) made its debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange today, raising 13.19bn yuan (£1.4bn) in the process. The IPO is Shanghai's largest since 2011 (although to be fair it has been planning to IPO since 2012), when Power Construction Corporation of China listed. Priced at 3.39 yuan, shares [...]
China opens up card market to US competition May 31, 2015 A CHINESE rule change will come into force today, allowing foreign payments firms such as Visa and Mastercard to apply for licences to process domestic bank card transactions. Following approval, the firms will be able to clear transactions that until now were monopolised by state-backed China Union Pay. The regulation change follows a 2012 ruling [...]
Stock market in China plunges by six per cent May 28, 2015 STOCKS in China plummeted yesterday, but remain at an elevated level having soared so far this year. The Shanghai composite index lost 6.5 per cent, but the collapse is barely a drop in the ocean compared to the index’s recent climb. Since early February the index has gained over 50 per cent, rising from a [...]
Bernanke: China faces risks as it aims for reserve status for yuan May 25, 2015 THE FORMER chairman of the Federal Reserve has warned that China needs to have deep and liquid financial markets if it wants to loosen rules on trading in its currency. “For a currency to be internationally traded, what you need most is liquid markets,” Ben Bernanke told an audience in Shanghai yesterday. “A deep market [...]
China stimulus plan boosts energy firms as FTSE nears peak – London Report May 21, 2015 PLANS out of Beijing to boost further stimulus to boost its economy also propelled the FTSE higher, to just below last month’s record highs yesterday, with expectations China will launch further stimulus, helping miners and energy stocks tracking gains in oil prices. The UK Oil and Gas index rose 0.9 per cent as crude rose [...]
China’s central bank cuts interest rates to 5.1 per cent amid slowing economy May 10, 2015 China's central bank has cut interest rates to 5.1 per cent, as the country's economy continues to slow down. It's the third cut in six months, and the hope is that is will boost development in the country. The change will come into effect on Monday. In 2014, growth rate was 7.4 per [...]
Apple sales soar on back of China growth: Profits rise despite decline in iPad sales April 27, 2015 Apple has reported a 27 per cent increase in revenue to $58bn (£38bn) for the second quarter, boosted by strong demand in China. Sales in China alone rose 71 per cent to $16.8bn, helping the smartphone giant rake in profits of $13.6bn, up from $10.2bn last year. The firm sold 61.2m iPhones during the period, [...]