Global investors forecast continued bullish market for Chinese equities

China

Global investors forecast continued bullish market for Chinese equities

2026-01-23 16:46 Last Updated At：01-25 12:49

From manufacturing and trade to services, innovation and consumption, China's economic growth is holding up across key sectors, and the country's gross domestic product (GDP) surpassed 140 trillion yuan in 2025, meeting the annual growth target of around 5t percent. Officials stated that China's economic fundamentals remain sound, and the latest data support this assessment.

China has the world’s largest and most complete manufacturing system, ranking first globally in value-added output for 16 consecutive years.

The services sector now accounts for 57.7 percent of the GDP, supported by the world’s largest digital infrastructure, from broadband networks to cloud computing.

Trade also tells a compelling story.

In 2025, total imports and exports reached 45.47 trillion yuan, marking nine consecutive years of positive growth.

China trades with more than 240 countries and regions, with around half linked to Belt and Road partners, helping cushion the impact of global shocks.

New growth engines are gaining momentum.

China’s research and development spending now exceeds the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, representing a clear shift toward innovation-led growth.

"[In terms of] R and D investments in the last two years, we've seen the Chinese tech sector is growing in leaps and bounds. So I think further stimulus in no doubt would accelerate this process," said Hong Hao, managing partner of Lotus Asset Management Company.

Consumption is also on the rise.

Jewelry, smart phones, and other discretionary goods are selling briskly, signaling demand is upgrading, not merely recovering.

Investors are taking notice.

Goldman Sachs projects the MSCI China Index to rise by 20 percent by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, the CSI 300 Index is anticipated to climb 12 percent to 5,200 points.

China’s economy is not standing still. It is absorbing pressure, upgrading its structure, and unlocking new momentum.

From grain fields to factory floors, from exports to technology labs, every sector is contributing to growth. Despite global uncertainty, China’s economic fundamentals remain strong.

Escalating Middle East tensions drive up energy prices, squeezing US consumers

Soaring oil prices triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East have heightened U.S. inflation pressures, with analysts warning that households face hundreds of dollars in extra costs if crude climbs further.

Data released on Tuesday by the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed that the national average price of regular gasoline in the United States has risen 18.64 percent compared with Feb. 26. The AAA data also indicated that the national average price of diesel on Tuesday was up 22.85 percent from a week earlier.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at global ratings agency Moody's, warned that U.S. consumers are being threatened by a sharp rise in fuel prices. He said that if international oil prices climb by another 10 U.S. dollars per barrel, annual spending for an average U.S. household would increase by about 450 dollars.

Zandi noted that a surge in oil prices would intensify inflationary pressure in the United States, eroding consumers' purchasing power and weighing on consumption, economic growth, and employment.

Tensions sharply escalated across the Middle East on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale joint airstrikes on Iran. The Iranian side has responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the region, hitting many countries in the Gulf.