G Sachs Rates H-shrs Marketweight, Expects CN 'National Team' to Net Buy RMB280B in Stock MktGoldman Sachs wrote in its China Market Report that the past 3 years have undoubtedly been a challenging and frustrating period for investors and participants in the Chinese stock market, which has recorded a cumulative crash of 61%, a cumulative drop of 30% in total market capitalisation (A-share + H-share + ADR), and a cumulative decline of 56% in total P/E valuation.
China's equity market has significantly lagged the rest of the world since 2021 and valuations are now subdued, with fund positions at decade lows.
The broker's fundamental view is constructive, forecasting potential returns of 18% and 19% for the MSCI China and CSI300 indices respectively in 2024, assuming effective policies are adopted.
Real GDP growth is expected to be around 5%, EPS growth around 10%, and valuations to recover moderately. However, the broker also recognised that its central policy forecasts can vary widely given the complex macro challenges and the very active global political calendar, the outcome of which could have an impact on Chinese equities.
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The broker's recent investor dialogue suggested several possible catalysts that have the potential to reverse entrenched negative expectations and sentiment - including the potential for a comprehensive and robust easing programme in the Mainland, demand-side focused stimulus, boosting policies for the private economy, government support for the property and equity markets, and improved and predictable US-China relations.
Goldman maintained Overweight on A-shares and Marketweight on H-shares.
Goldman also noted that one of the key lessons to be learnt from 2023 is that it seems difficult for equities to fully decouple from the property market. The broker is forecasting an improvement in housing transactions and real estate fixed asset investment/new construction projects in the mainland through 2024, meaning the drag from the property market on equities may weaken this year.
In the stock market, direct government support may be the most effective way to boost sentiment and share prices in the short term, the broker believed.
China's "National Team" has become more proactive in the A-share market, in the form of direct purchases of selected domestic ETFs, increasing its holdings of certain index heavyweights (e.g. Central Huijin's buying of SOE banks), and encouraging buybacks by listed SOEs.
Goldman's Investor Wishlist for this year predicted net purchases by China's "National Team" at RMB280 billion under a base case scenario this year (compared to RMB97 billion in 2023), and RMB1.2 trillion under a bullish case.
Source; AAStocks Financial News
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