INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
SHANGHAI: Shares in China rebounded on Tuesday following a heavy four-day selloff, as investors picked up battered stocks while
infrastructure firms were bolstered by expectations of increased spending on public works projects.
The Shanghai Composite index jumped
74.14 points, or 2.7 per cent, at 2,705.16.
That was its biggest daily gain in per centage terms since May 2016 and follows a decline of
about 6 per cent over the previous four trading sessions as an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war rattled confidence in Chinese
markets.
Zhu Junchun, an analyst with Lianxun Securities, said gains were led by infrastructure firms that are expected to benefit from
economic stimulus, which includes increased spending on public projects, but noted there were questions about how sustainable the day's
rally would be.
"This is a technical rebound in nature after the sharp fall last week, though it's hard to say whether the downward
correction for the major indexes is over yet," said Zhu.
Among infrastructure stocks, China Railway Corporation shares rose by the daily
maximum of 10 per cent.
China Railway was reported in domestic media as saying China would boost its fixed asset investment in railways to
800 billion yuan ($116.85 billion) in 2018, an increase of 9.3 per cent over its original plan.
The boost in railway spending comes
alongside a broader shift in fiscal policy to support economic growth
On Tuesday, an adviser to China's central bank called for stronger policy coordination to better serve smaller firms.
China's cabinet has
previously called for a more active fiscal policy, including cutting taxes for companies and boosting the pace of local governments' special
bond issuance to help finance projects
Beijing has also said it will keep its economic growth in a reasonable range by making policies more flexible and effective.
The blue-chip
CSI300 index was up 2.92 per cent, its biggest per centage jump since August 2016.
Its financial sector sub-index rose 2.64 per cent, the
consumer staples sector gained 2.76 per cent, the real estate index jumped 3.8 per cent and the healthcare sub-index ended 1.85 per cent
higher.
Shares in healthcare and consumer firms have been hit hard in recent days amid a scandal over vaccines that has undermined consumer
confidence, while property firms have suffered from expectations of measures to rein in property prices.
The smaller Shenzhen index ended up
2.75 per cent and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was higher by 2.68 per cent.
Despite Tuesday's surge, the Shanghai stock index
is down 16 per cent this year, while the CSI300 has fallen 16.4 per cent.
The yuan strengthened in afternoon trade against the U.S
dollar Tuesday, reversing earlier losses
But traders said the outlook for the currency remains bearish.
At 0712 GMT, the yuan was quoted at 6.8385 per U.S
dollar, 134 pips firmer than the previous close of 6.8519.
The yuan's rise followed a firmer midpoint for the currency's daily trading band
set by the PBOC of 6.8431 per dollar, 82 pips stronger than the previous day's fixing of 6.8513.
