While US spending balloons, China has begun to tighten the fiscal taps, says The Economist. Prime Minister Li Keqiang has announced a lower fiscal deficit target for this year. Meanwhile, the central bank has begun to withdraw liquidity in a bid to cool speculation. Guo Shuqing, the country’s chief banking regulator, recently warned of bubbles in domestic property and global financial markets. Chinese investors have been put “on notice”.
The newly published five-year plan has not done away with the traditional growth targets, but they do appear to be “vaguer and more flexible than before”, says Andrew Batson of Gavekal Research. Instead, there is a pivot towards a “pledge to keep China’s debt-to-GDP ratio stable or declining”.
The renewed emphasis on debt levels has given investors pause for thought, say Joanne Chiu and Xie Yu for The Wall Street Journal. The CSI 300 stockmarket benchmark soared by 27% in 2020. Yet the index has slid by 10% from its latest peak. Still, this “slow bull market” may not be over yet, says Wendy Liu of UBS Global Research. Investors may just be catching their breath.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
A key bullish factor is that Chinese mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity has had its “busiest start to a year on record”, say Tabby Kinder and Thomas Hale in the Financial Times.
The total value of domestic dealmaking amounts to $77.5bn so far in 2021. Mainland Chinese businesses used to go on acquisition sprees abroad; but now Beijing wants to develop more domestic, consumer-led industries, while geopolitics has made overseas acquisitions more difficult in recent years, says David Brown of PwC. “That has redirected a lot of capital that would previously have gone outside the country back into domestic acquisitions”.
-
Average pension pot by region – how do your retirement savings compare?Making sufficient savings for retirement is critical to ensure you can enjoy your later years without too many financial worries, but new data suggests some are saving far more than others. We look at the average pension pot by region.
-
Could colour diamonds add a sparkle to your portfolio?Diamonds of various shades never go out of fashion, says Chris Carter
-
Could colour diamonds add a sparkle to your portfolio?
Diamonds of various shades never go out of fashion, says Chris Carter
-
Okta: an undervalued cybersecurity playOkta provides vital security services and appears cheap considering AI’s growing prominence
-
Should you invest in Pakistan – the Vietnam of South Asia?Opinion If Pakistan is now serious about reform, it’s time for investors to buy, says Maryam Cockar
-
Why it pays to invest in family firms – and how to buy inIt makes sense to invest in family firms. Here are some of the best to buy now
-
'Why you must own gold and Bitcoin'Opinion The world is dedollarising, and gold and Bitcoin are the only alternatives. Buy now, says Dominic Frisby
-
8 of the best properties for sale with mountain viewsThe best properties for sale with mountain views – from an Arts & Crafts house with holiday lets in the Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to a highland lodge with wood-burning stoves near the Rogie Falls in the Scottish Highlands
-
'Where to find the world’s hidden gems offering durable growth and value'Opinion Joe Bauernfreund, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, AVI Global Trust, highlights three businesses where he'd put his money
-
What are wealth taxes and would they work in Britain?The Treasury is short of cash and mulling over how it can get its hands on more money to plug the gap. Could wealth taxes do the trick?
