Consumer spending in China continues to grow strongly by international standards, even as the pattern of that spending evolves. The image of weak consumerism in China – as portrayed by the media – is misleading in two ways. For starters, the growth in retail sales in China is only “low” relative to the very high (mostly double digit) rates recorded in the 2010s. However, at 7.2% y/y growth in the full year 2023, China’s retail sales growth compares very well internationally. Beyond that, there are also changing social trends which are driving different forms of consumption in China, which then support investments that are more reflective of the transformation in China. In this article, we discuss more about how young Chinese are the main driving force in China’s consumer market and identify the winners of this quiet but significant sea change in consumer behaviour.

Extremely negative sentiment culminating Q4 2023 toward Chinese stocks have brought A shares to exceedingly low valuations for an economy with so much inherent growth potential, that it would appear the upside risks far outweigh the downside risks at this point. Meanwhile we see differentiating features of the bedrock and new economy indices including factors tilting toward bargain stocks and high-quality growth at a reasonable price, along with a concentration in strategic sectors that truly drive China’s real economy. In this article, Dr. Phillip Wool, Global Head of Research of Rayliant Global Advisors reviews the factor performance of the onshore A-shares markets in Q4 2023, and reasons why investors may look back at 2024 as a turning point for China’s equity markets, and outstanding entry point for a vintage well positioned for growth recovery in the new normal.

Surging Treasury yields and increasing anxiety over the Fed’s ‘higher for longer’ policy led global equities to ‘risk-off’ in the third quarter, though the challenge for Chinese stocks in the CSI 300 Index, down -2.9% for the quarter, remained mostly a function of negative sentiment toward China’s property market and skepticism that policymakers were doing enough to put the nation’s economic recovery back on track. Nevertheless, we saw some very positive signs in Q3, with Beijing beginning to implement targeted stimulus that, by quarter end, already appears to be bearing fruit. From a factor perspective, the new economy portfolio’s quality growth exposure is effectively levered to the upside surprises we see as significantly undervalued at this moment, while the bedrock index should continue to benefit from value and quality exposures, allowing us to identify true bargains poised for revaluation. In this article, Dr. Phillip Wool, Global Head of Research of Rayliant Global Advisors, discusses third-quarter performance and outline our expectations for China’s economy and market as 2023 draws to a close.

The youth unemployment rate in China has been much talked about, however the phenomenon is often poorly interpreted without addressing the important nuances behind the structural, transformational and societal factors in China. In fact, the elevated unemployment rate is a transitional legacy from COVID and many countries also shared the experience of high youth unemployment. There is a lag in China’s youth unemployment data compared to western countries, given China’s relatively late reopening from the COVID pandemic. In this article, we discuss the structural factors contributing to the youth unemployment rate in China, and explain why the number will likely to decline and why the unemployed youth will be absorbed into workforce as China continues on its path of recovery.

In a refreshing break from the consensus of gloom surrounding China, Cambridge Associates wrote recently that the Chinese economy was not stalling. Meanwhile IMF holds steady its China GDP growth forecasts in the World Economic Outlook Update report released last week, at 5.2% for 2023 and 4.5% for 2024. In this article, our Senior Advisor Say Boon Lim shares more about why China may surprise to the upside and the appeal of Chinese equities as a relative value play.

While global equities generally performed well in Q2 amidst a frenzy around A.I., sentiment toward Chinese stocks remained lacklustre as investor enthusiasm waned. That said there remained bright spots in the market that quietly outperformed - including our multi-factor China Bedrock Economy ETF which delivered YTD USD return of ~12.6% as of Aug 2nd 2023. In this article, Dr. Phillip Wool, Global Head of Research of Rayliant Global Advisors, reviewed the performance of various style factors during the quarter, and discusses why we see China as grossly undervalued going into the second half.

With the world except for China busy taming inflation, the China “lost decade” narrative has been driving pessimism over Chinese assets in recent months. How much of this fear could be substantiated and how much of it is fear of shadows? In this article our Senior Advisor Say Boon Lim reviews this topic from multiple angles, and explains why China today is unlikely to be Japan 1990 given significant differences in labour forces, total factor productivity (TFP), government policy focus, R&D spendings, financial resources and tools available to the government as well as structural growth from urbanisation and well capitalised state-owned banks that continue to support the case for China to avoid Japan’s secular stagnation.

중국 4월 데이터는 시장 기대치에 미치지 못했지만, 실망감은 시장이 자체적으로 매우 높게 세운 기대치에서 비롯된 것인데요. 사실상 이른바 4월의 "실망감"은 전세계적인 맥락에서 본다면 아주 다르게 보입니다. 이번 인사이트에서 당사의 선임 고문 Say Boon Lim은 중국의 자체 5% 성장 목표와 올해 중국이 세계 GDP 성장의 약 30%에 기여할 것이라는 IMF의 예상을 고려해볼 때 그렇게 높은 기대치에 미달한 것에 대한 실망보다는 더 큰 산을 볼 필요가 있다고 전했습니다.

중국 시장은 2022년 10월 이후 중국 리오프닝과 코로나 정책 완화에 따른 강한 반등세를 보였는데요. 해외 중국주식에서 장기적인 강세장에 돌입하여 초과수익률을 낼 수 있을 것으로 기대되는 중국A주로 투자 자금 흐름 로테이션이 관찰되기 시작했습니다. 중국은 현재 리오프닝 경기 회복 궤도 속 어느 지점에 있을까요? 초과수익률을 가져다 줄 수 있는 정책 지원 섹터 리딩기업들은 무엇일까요? 이는 저희 클라이언트들에게 자주 받는 질문들입니다. 이번 글에서는 투자자 분들과의 대화 중 최근에 가장 많았던 질문 10가지를 소개해드리려고 합니다. 또, 중국의 리오프닝 그리고 그 다음 챕터인 경제성장 회복 궤도 속에서 발생되는 기회들에 대한 인사이트를 공유합니다.