Chinese stocks and mainland A-shares related exchange traded funds are surging on hints of further easing and Beijing’s planned infrastructure projects to link its markets with Europe and Africa.
On Monday, the db X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares Fund (NYSEArca: ASHR) and Market Vectors ChinaAMC A-Share ETF (NYSEArca: PEK), which both track the CSI 300 Index, jumped 4.6% and 4.5%, respectively. Additionally, the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A ETF (NYSEArca: KBA), which tracks the MSCI China A Index, increased 4.4% Monday while the PowerShares China A-Share Portfolio (NYSEArca: CHNA), an actively managed option that utilizes SGX FTSE China A50 Index futures contracts, surged 5.3%.
Year-to-date, ASHR rose 10.1%, PEK advanced 12.8%, KBA gained 12.1% and CHNA added 0.3%.
Chinese stocks received a double boost Monday after the central bank signaled it could ease its monetary policy to stimulate the slowing economy and the government announced a massive infrastructure project to build a modern Silk Road to Europe and Africa.
Central bank governor Zhou Xiachuan hinted that China has “more room” to ease policy if inflation continues to fall, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Additionally, Chinese officials announced ambitious plans to upgrade the country’s infrastructure to connect the economy with the rest of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe through roads, railways, ports and other projects.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he expected the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, part of the Silk Road trade-promotion plan, to bolster trade between China and economies involved to over $2.5 trillion, MarketWatch reports.
Through the QFII system, foreign investors are able to access Chinese A-shares, which trade on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzen Stock Exchange and are typically only available to mainland citizens. A-shares are also only quoted in the Chinese renminbi currency. [Another Creation Limit for an A-Shares ETF]
Unlike other China ETFs, these A-Shares ETFs track companies listed in China’s stock exchange, whereas the other options track companies listed on Hong Kong or U.S. exchanges. [Explosive Growth for Single-Country ETFs]
db X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares Fund
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Max Chen contributed to this article.