Markets

China To Intervene in Stocks After $590 Billion Selloff

Published

7 years ago

January 5, 2016

China moved to support its sinking stock market as state-controlled funds bought equities and the securities regulator signaled a selling ban on major investors will remain beyond this week’s expiration date, according to people familiar with the matter.

Government funds purchased local stocks on Tuesday after a 7 percent tumble in the CSI 300 Index on Monday triggered a market-wide trading halt, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the buying wasn’t publicly disclosed. The China Securities Regulatory Commission asked bourses verbally to tell listed companies that the six-month sales ban on major stockholders will remain valid beyond Jan. 8, the people said.

The moves show that policy makers, who took unprecedented measures to prop up stocks during a summer rout, are stepping in once again to combat a selloff that erased $590 billion of value in the worst-ever start to a year for the Chinese market. While the intervention may ease some selling pressure, it also undermines authorities’ pledge to give markets more sway in the world’s second-largest economy.

“The market has got some help from state funds and that will support shares in the short term,” said Wang Zheng, the Shanghai-based chief investment officer at Jingxi Investment Management Co. “However, in the long run, the market will need its own strength to hold up. It can’t always rely on the national team.”

China’s CSI 300 index fell 2.2 percent at 2:12 p.m. local time, after earlier rising as much as 1.4 percent. The gauge’s plunge on Monday triggered the nation’s circuit breakers on their first day in effect, dealing a blow to regulatory efforts to calm one of the world’s most volatile stock markets. Authorities are trying to prevent market turmoil from eroding confidence in an economy set to grow at its weakest annual pace since 1990.

The sales ban on major holders, introduced in July near the height of a $5 trillion crash, will stay in effect until the introduction of a new rule restricting sales, the people said. Listed companies were encouraged to issue statements saying they’re willing to halt such sales, they said.

Several firms did so this week. The controlling holder of Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Century Huatong Group said in an exchange filing it wouldn’t sell shares on the secondary market for another year after its previous commitment expires in January. Changshu Tianyin Electromechanical Co., a maker of refrigerator-compressor parts, said its controlling holders won’t sell shares over the next nine months.

International Concern

The regulatory ban, announced on July 8, applied to investors with holdings exceeding 5 percent in a single stock, along with corporate executives and directors. The restriction drew criticism at the time from foreign investors including Templeton Emerging Markets Group and UBS Wealth Management, who saw the intervention as a step too far. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimated the ban kept $185 billion of shares off the market.

Chinese policy makers used purchases by government-linked funds to prop up shares as the CSI 300 plunged as much as 43 percent over the summer. State funds probably spent $236 billion on equities in the three months through August, according to Goldman Sachs. The CSRC didn’t immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

The CSI 300, which ended last year with a 5.6 percent advance, started 2016 with losses as investors anticipated an end to the sales ban and economic data signaled a continued contraction in the nation’s manufacturing sector. Trading on Tuesday was volatile, with the index swinging between gains and losses at least eight times.

Bloomberg

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Samed Olukoya

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Crude Oil

Investor Confidence Boosted by UBS-Credit Suisse Deal, Oil Prices Show Resilience

The deal eased investors confidence ahead of Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for tomorrow and boosted oil prices.

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2023

Samed Olukoya

Global oil prices rebounded slightly in the early hours of Tuesday as concerns over banking section issues subside following UBS-Credit Suisse successful deal.

The deal eased investors confidence ahead of Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for tomorrow and boosted oil prices.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, traded rose to $73.84 per barrel while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil gained 9 cents to $67.73 a barrel. A rebound from $3 decline recorded in the previous session.

The announcement of the UBS-Credit Suisse deal was followed by major central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, indicating that they would enhance market liquidity and support other banks.

Furthermore, officials with the G7 stated that they were unlikely to revise a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil as planned. The officials said EU countries’ ambassadors were told by the European Commission over the weekend there was no pressing desire among the group for an immediate review.

Looking ahead, OPEC+, which includes the world’s top oil exporting countries and allies including Russia, is set for a meeting on April 3. The group agreed in October to cut oil production targets by 2 million barrels per day until the end of 2023.

Overall, the UBS-Credit Suisse deal and central bank support has helped ease investor concerns and stabilize oil prices. However, the upcoming OPEC+ meeting will be closely watched for any potential changes to oil production targets.

Crude Oil

Oil Dips to 15 Months Low on Monday as Concerns Over Troubled Global Banking Sector Intensifies

Published

2 days ago

March 20, 2023

Samed Olukoya

Rising global uncertainty concerning the rout in the banking system following the collapse of three major global banks has plunged oil prices to 15 months low on Monday as energy traders are worried that the U.S. central bank might raise interest rates even higher this week.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian oil is priced, declined by 3.2% to $70.65 a barrel to settle at its lowest level since December 2021 in the early hours of Monday. While the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil stood at $64.59 per barrel, down by 3.2%.

The decline in global energy market on Monday was despite UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank announcing it was acquiring troubled Credit Suisse, the country’s second-largest lender for $3 billion to prevent a banking crisis from spreading into other key sectors.

“The market focus is on current banking sector volatility and the potential for further rate hikes by the Fed,” said Baden Moore, National Australia Bank’s head of commodity research.

While the US Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points on March 22, some executives are calling on the central bank to pause its monetary policy tightening for now but be ready to resume raising rates later.

The upcoming OPEC meeting is also another potential catalyst for the market outlook. “Further downside risk to prices increases the probability OPEC reduces production further to support prices,” Moore added, referring to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs has cut its forecasts for Brent crude oil after prices plunged on banking and recession fears. The leading investment bank now expects brent oil to average $94 in the next 12 months and $97 in 2024, this is about $4 to $6 from $100 previously predicted.

Despite the uncertainty in the market, some analysts predict that prices will trend higher over the course of the year.

Crude Oil

Oil Prices Rebound After Saudi Arabia and Russia Calm Markets and Support Measures Stabilize Banking Crisis

Published

5 days ago

March 17, 2023

Samed Olukoya

After a week of steep declines, oil prices rebounded on Friday thanks to a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia that calmed markets and support measures that stabilized a banking crisis.

Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian measures, rose by 1.46% to $75.79 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil rose 1.76% to $69.55. Both benchmarks had hit more than one-year lows earlier in the week and were on track for their biggest weekly falls since December 2021.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and trouble at Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank had put pressure on oil and other global assets this week.

However, the commodity recovered some ground on Friday after the European Central Bank and U.S. lenders announced various measures to curtail the situation.

A meeting between oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia on Thursday also helped to calm fears. Furthermore, WTI’s fall this week to less than $70 a barrel for the first time since December 2021 could spur the U.S. government to start refilling its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which would boost demand.

Similarly, the rebound in Chinese demand for the commodity also supported the increase in price as reports shows the U.S. crude exports to China in March rose to its highest level in nearly two and a half years.

Analysts believe there is sufficient support for the oil price, with OPEC+ having to convene an extraordinary meeting.

An OPEC+ monitoring panel is due to meet on Apr. 3. Despite the rebound, conditions for volatile trading remain intact, and the oil price roller-coaster is pausing for breath but is by no means over, according to oil broker PVM’s Stephen Brennock.