Analysts misread cues as China hosted the best and worst assets in 2018

Stocks, bonds and currency have wrongfooted investors

Anyone who shorted Chinese stocks, went long the yuan and loaded up on the country’s government debt has unexpectedly won big in 2018.

Strategists across the board have been blindsided by China’s financial markets this year, where extreme moves mean the nation has hosted both the world’s best and worst performing assets all at once. The Shanghai Composite Index is now 16 per cent below December’s year-end targets, the 10-year bond yields 108 basis points less than forecast, and the currency is already stronger than almost all analysts had predicted.

Concern that a trade spat with the U.S. will hurt China’s already-slowing