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Gavekal Dragonomics
Ernan Cui
Nov 25th 2020
How Covid-19 Changed Chinese Consumers
China’s consumer recovery from lockdown initially lagged other economies, but now looks more sustainable. Discretionary goods are booming, and the online shakeout of retail continues, though other services and staples are less exciting. In this chartbook, Ernan presents a special Covid-19 edition of her annual review of the Chinese consumer.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Dan Wang
Nov 24th 2020
This Time Is Different For Industrial Policy
Chinese bureaucrats are now busily drafting plans to achieve self-reliance in high technology. But as Dan argues in this piece, this latest industrial-policy push will be different. Thanks to US restrictions on Chinese firms, notably Huawei, the private sector is already convinced that developing substitutes for imported technology is necessary.
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Nov 23rd 2020
Three Strikes And Still In
In the last three weeks, investors in Chinese assets have suffered a series of shocks, with the suspension of the Ant IPO, antitrust actions against China’s tech giants, and the high-profile default of a local state-owned enterprise. Louis examines what may be going on behind the scenes, and sets out how investors should interpret these successive shocks.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Xiaoxi Zhang
Nov 20th 2020
The Macro Implications Of Microfinance
The surprise suspension of Ant Group’s IPO on November 4 was caused by the publication of new rules on online microfinance—a tiny sector that accounts for just 0.3% of China’s banking system. In this piece, Xiaoxi explains why microfinance is of so great macro importance to China’s financial regulators, and what they will do next.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Wei He
Nov 18th 2020
The Second Wave Of Bond Inflows
There was a record increase in foreign holdings of Chinese bonds in the second and third quarters of 2020, almost all of it from private-sector investors. In this report, Wei explains why foreign investors will likely continue to buy up Chinese bonds and why Chinese authorities appear relaxed about this second wave of inflows to the bond market.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Xiaoxi Zhang, Wei He
Nov 17th 2020
Cracks Appear In Local Support For Bonds
A missed debt payment last week by a local state-owned enterprise in Henan province has created turmoil in China's corporate bond market. In this report, Xiaoxi and Wei explain why the default undermined one of the market's fundamental supports and why investors are now likely to be more discerning between provinces.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Dragonomics Team
Nov 16th 2020
Full Steam Ahead
Economic data released on Monday showed China’s continued economic normalization, with property sales and infrastructure investment outperforming expectations, industrial activity staying strong and the consumer recovery picking up. In this Quick Take, the Dragonomics team outlines why this environment is favorable for bonds and risky for equities.
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Gavekal Research
Tom Miller
Nov 16th 2020
After RCEP: A Tough Ask For Pivot 2.0
On Sunday, China signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. With the 15-nation trade agreement, Beijing has successfully positioned itself at the center of the region’s trade and investment networks. This will make it hard for US President-Elect Joe Biden to fulfill his pledge to place “America back at the head of the table” in international relations, at least in Asia.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Dan Wang, Thomas Gatley
Nov 13th 2020
Another Trump Attack On Chinese Stocks
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday barring US investments into a list of 31 Chinese firms, 13 of which are publicly listed. In this Quick Take, Dan and Thomas outline what obstacles the order faces before implementation, what impact it would have for investors and what the move means for Chinese equities both on- and offshore.
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Gavekal Research
Arthur Kroeber, Andrew Batson, Dan Wang, Wei He, Thomas Gatley
Nov 13th 2020
Webinar: China After The Recovery
Having gone into lockdown first, China was also the first economy to emerge, and has since enjoyed a rapid rebound in industrial production and exports, reflected in financial markets. But now that the economy is back to “normal”, policymakers have returned to a conservative stance which focuses on financial stability.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Andrew Batson, Dan Wang, Ernan Cui
Nov 12th 2020
The Internet Is No Longer Exempt
Recent major regulatory actions have sent a strong message to Chinese internet companies: you’re not special anymore. In this report, Andrew, Dan and Ernan explain why anti-competitive practices, prudential risk and the pandemic are now prompting policymakers to regulate online firms on the same basis as their offline counterparts.
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Nov 11th 2020
China’s Departure From Past Standard Operating Procedures
China is emerging from the pandemic stronger than its big economic rivals in the West. It is an irony that the US and Europe are applying expansive Keynesian-type solutions of the type China has deployed in recent crises, but now seems to be rejecting. The result, Louis argues, may be that China starts to enjoy a "triple merit" scenario.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Dan Wang
Nov 11th 2020
The Race To Decouple
Both the US and China now seem eager to reduce their mutual economic dependencies. However, such a process is different for either country: Dan explains that China’s reliance on the US is narrow and technical in scope while American dependence on China is more wide-ranging. The US therefore faces more complex challenges in the “race” to decouple.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Rosealea Yao
Nov 10th 2020
Housing & Construction Review 2020
China’s property sector led the rebound from Covid-19 lockdown, but how long can the new boom last? In her annual chartbook, Rosealea explains the outlook for 2021 after a very volatile 2020. Housing policy has turned tighter after signs of overheating, which points to sales flattening and construction activity declining next year.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Arthur Kroeber
Nov 09th 2020
Fine-Tuning The US-China Rivalry
In almost no area of the US-China relationship can President-elect Biden fully reverse the combative approach President Trump has put in place. Instead, writes Arthur, the Biden administration will likely fine-tune regulations to balance US economic and security interests, all while working closer with US allies—none of which will be easy.
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Gavekal Research
Gilliam Collinsworth Hamilton
Nov 05th 2020
Video: China's Grand Plan For The Next Two Decades
While the US has been busy tying itself in knots over the 2020 presidential election, the Chinese government, with no electoral calendar to worry about, has quietly been setting out its grand strategy for the country’s development over the next two decades. In this video, Gilliam cuts through the impenetrable ideological jargon to identify the key themes running through Beijing’s long term policy pronouncements.
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Gavekal Research
Charles Gave, Cedric Gemehl, Louis Gave, Didier Darcet
Nov 05th 2020
Webinar: US Election & Global Investment Roundtable (in French)
Charles Gave, Louis-Vincent Gave, Didier Darcet and Cedric Gemehl delved into the results of the US election, and discussed the latest impact of Covid-19 on the global economy and markets. Additionally, they presented Gavekal’s latest research on portfolio construction.
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Gavekal Research
Andrew Batson
Nov 04th 2020
Ant Stomped
Ant Group’s US$35bn IPO was set to be the ultimate market validation of the new world of fintech and financial innovation. But by suspending Ant’s IPO at the last minute China’s financial regulators have demonstrated there is still a force more powerful than the coming wave of financial innovation: the state. It’s a lesson that big tech giants outside China may also need to take to heart, as they face increasing regulatory scrutiny from US and...
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Nov 03rd 2020
The New Geostrategic Pressure Point
Investors today are overwhelmingly focused on the economic impact of the Covid pandemic and the possible effects of the US presidential election. Yet something happened over the summer that although not at all traumatic by comparison, may end up having much more far-reaching consequences for world geopolitics.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Thomas Gatley
Nov 03rd 2020
A Surge In Earnings
Net profits of China’s listed non-financial firms surged in Q3, reflecting the fundamental improvement in the Chinese economy. In this Quick Take, Thomas explains why business conditions, although improved, are not as good as the net profit figures might suggest—and why Q4 will likely represent the peak of China’s corporate profit cycle.