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Mainland Chinese stocks surged to multi-year highs after returning from an extended break, fueled by investor excitement over Beijing’s aggressive stimulus measures. The CSI300 blue-chip index jumped 5.5% in early trade to reach its highest point since July 2022, while the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 5.2%, marking its highest level since December 2021.
However, this optimism did not extend to other Asian markets. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 2.5%, driven by a 5.3% slump in its Mainland Properties Index. Overall, MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index outside Japan fell by more than 1%.
Experts suggest that the Chinese market’s rise reflects investor confidence in the local market, while profit-taking could be behind Hong Kong's decline. Investors now await further details on China's stimulus pledges.
Meanwhile, fears of a Middle East conflict disrupted global markets. Brent crude briefly surged above $90 per barrel due to concerns about oil supply disruptions, but later retreated. Additionally, U.S. Treasury yields held steady as investors reconsidered the likelihood of further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve following strong U.S. jobs data.
