The Hang Seng (^HSI) ended the day lower after 13 straight days of gains following a wave of stimulus measures aimed at bolstering the country’s struggling economy.
KraneShares CIO Brendan Ahern joins Morning Brief to discuss the stimulus efforts and the outlook for China stocks.
“We’ve seen the monetary fiscal bazooka unleashed, really geared to supporting the real estate sector, which obviously has depressed prices, have really weighed on consumer confidence, domestic consumption… You’re also seeing outright the PBoC (People’s Bank of China) and CSRC (China Securities Regulatory Commission) — their version of the SEC — saying we’ll give insurance companies, mutual fund families, brokerage firms, 500 billion RMB to buy stocks. If that doesn’t get the stock market up, we’ll give them another 500 billion,” Ahen says of the stimulus measures.
However, he notes that there still hasn’t been a clear articulation of fiscal policy. “What are they going to do in terms of its consumption vouchers? What are the things they’re going to do to get domestic consumption up?” he asks. He hopes the People’s Bank of China will offer more clarity over the next several weeks, which could offer more good news for markets.
While JPMorgan has warned investors about the risks of chasing the rally given its high valuations, Ahern argues it’s still in the “very, very early innings.” With more information from Chinese officials expected, the rally could continue. He adds, “Instead of looking through the rearview mirror, let’s look through the windshield.”
For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief.
This post was written by Melanie Riehl
