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China Stocks rise on stimulus hopes

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Capital Market
Headline indices of the Mainland China equity market advanced on Wednesday, 22 April 2020, after recouping early losses, as investors expecting China to roll out a massive stimulus package soon to cushion economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. However, market gains caped, as a rout in crude oil prices underscored fears of severe economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis. Around late afternoon, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index advanced 0.4%, or 11.52 points, to 2,838.53. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, increased by 0.75%, or 13.10 points, to 1,766.52. The blue-chip CSI300 index rose 0.61%, or 23.11 points, to 3,831.16.

Market gains propelled on hopes that China to roll out a massive stimulus package soon to cushion economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Market gains were capped as fears that the COVID-19 pandemic wrecks the world economy. Concerns about oil storage availability amid weaker demand for the commodity and a week long dispute between Russia and OPEC nations, have propelled the historic oil sell-off. OPEC and Russia eventually agreed to cut production by 10 million barrels per day in May.

Oil prices remained volatile in overnight trade. West Texas Intermediate's contract for May delivery -- which traded below $0 on Monday for the first time in history -- rebounded slightly Tuesday but was trading at less than $5. For June delivery, which experts view as a better indicator of how Wall Street views oil prices, WTI fell 43.4% to $11.57 per barrel on Tuesday. The crude price rout extended to global benchmark Brent with the contract for June deliveries closed at $19.33.

In the Asian trading hours on Wednesday, he June contract for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) clawed back some Tuesday losses as it jumped 11.32% to $12.88 per barrel, after falling more than 40% on Tuesday. Meanwhile, international Brent crude futures fell 2.43% to $18.86 per barrel, having plunged from levels above $24 per barrel on Tuesday.

CURRENCY NEWS: China's yuan was softer against the dollar on Wednesday, as China central bank fixed softer mid-point rate. Prior to market opening, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint rate CNY=PBOC at 7.0903 per dollar, 151 pips or 0.2% weaker than the previous fix of 7.0752, the weakest since April 7. In the spot market, the onshore yuan CNY=CFXS opened at 7.0850 per dollar and was changing hands at 7.0852 by midday, 73 pips weaker than the previous late session close,

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First Published: Apr 22 2020 | 11:59 AM IST

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