China property shares rally on policy support
Shares in Chinese property companies jumped on Monday following a series of supportive policy announcements, as regulators stepped up efforts to curb property sector turmoil weighing on the world’s second-largest economy.
The Hong Kong-listed shares in the service unit of Country Garden rose as much as 14 per cent in the morning session, while its listed parent company and Longfor Properties rose as much as 6 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively. The Hang Seng Mainland Properties index was up 5.4 per cent as of noon in Hong Kong.
Policymakers have accelerated tweaks to stabilise the sagging housing market in recent weeks, including launching bailout funds and special loans to help developers complete unfinished homes, which had sparked a countrywide mortgage boycott.
But investors have lost confidence in the financial health of Chinese developers, who have defaulted on both dollar and renminbi repayment obligations. After defaulting on its debt last year, the world’s most indebted real estate developer Evergrande pledged to restart all stalled projects by the end of September.
While policymakers have increased support for homebuyers, a lack of clarity on future measures for real estate companies has exacerbated uncertainty in the market.
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Cheng Leng
