Chinese ETFs saw a remarkable performance this week, driven by Beijing’s sweeping stimulus plan aimed at boosting the economy. With the People’s Bank of China cutting key rates and announcing fiscal stimulus measures, investors are gaining back a bit of confidence in Chinese stocks, pushing them to their strongest weekly gains since 2008. The Shanghai Composite Index surged by 12.81% over the week while the CSI 300 Index, which includes the shares of the 300 most traded companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, jumped 15.70%. This trend reversal allowed it to return to positive territory since the beginning of the year, whereas it was still down almost 7% at the end of the previous week.
Beijing Stimulus Fuels ETF Gains
Chinese ETFs, including the iShares MSCI China ETF (NYSE:CNYA) and the Franklin FTSE China UCITS ETF (LON:FLXC) rallied strongly, each gaining over 16%. Beijing’s recent moves to lower the reserve requirement ratio for banks and cut key interest rates helped drive the market rebound. These measures, paired with plans to issue special sovereign bonds, have provided a much-needed stimulus to China’s struggling economy.
As a result, China-linked ETFs and themes like China Digitalization and China’s New Economy rose 16.69%, 23.65% and 17.56%, respectively.
Leveraged China ETFs: High Risk, High Reward
For more aggressive investors, leveraged ETFs like the Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X Shares (NYSE:YINN) in the U.S. and Leverage Shares 3x Long China ETP Securities (ETR:3CIN) in Europe offer an amplified exposure to Chinese stocks. These funds, designed for short-term trades, soared on the back of China’s economic outlook.
However, it’s important to note that leveraged ETFs come with increased risks compared to traditional funds and are typically suited for experienced investors.