Collective effort, Ugly 2010 by Rom at Bondsquawk, with introduction by Pragcap:
We’ve often noted the fact that China’s equity market has served as a very reliable leading indicator over the last few years. They led the way with a dramatic market crash that started in 2007 and they bottomed several months in advance of the 2009 bottom in the S&P. We recently highlighted the bearish action in Chinese stocks while U.S. investors continued to pile into the S&P (one of three primary reasons we built short positions for the first time in 2 years prior to the recent stock collapse). Ultimately the market faltered and China’s equity market is once again looking prescient. China is displaying classic post-bubble market action. Our friends at Bondsquawk ask the important question that should be on everyone’s mind:
"Could the Chinese markets lead the rest of the world back down?"
[BEWARE THE BIG RED LEADING INDICATOR, The Pragmatic Capitalist]
Ugly 2010 for China’s Stock Market
Courtesy of Rom at Bondsquawk
China’s Shanghai Composite Index has led the rally in the global markets after sinking in late October 2008, almost 5 month ahead of the lows seen in the US markets. However, the rally has stalled as China’s equity markets have declined by 20.9 percent in 2010. Could the Chinese markets lead the rest of the world back down?
China’s Shanghai Composite Index 2-Year Historical Chart
The New York Times reported the following:
After a spectacular rise last year, China’s stock market has plummeted on growing concerns about Europe’s debt crisis and expectations that Beijing is about to take strong action to slow the nation’s booming economy and prevent it from overheating, analysts say.
Investors are worried that Chinese exports to Europe will slow in the coming months and that government efforts to tame this country’s economy by tightening credit will hamper a wide array of industries, including the nation’s fast-growing real estate market.
Read the Full Article>>
