News Article

Foreign financial institutions have become more bullish about China's stock market performance in 2023 as the signs of the country's economic stabilization become increasingly noticeable amid stimulus measures and the accelerated optimization of epidemic control measures.

The official launch of margin trading and securities lending on the Beijing Stock Exchange could be on the horizon as the one-year-old bourse steps up efforts to perfect market functioning, experts said on Tuesday.

Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 77 percent of the total listed companies and more than 80 percent are from strategic emerging industries and advanced manufacturing, said Long Haiyang, head of the executive office of the BSE.

Shares of companies in sectors like food and beverage, power equipment and biomedicine have attracted the most foreign investment, with each sector registering more than 10 billion yuan of net foreign capital inflow so far this month.

China has decided to halve stock transfer fees starting Friday to further lower the trading costs for investors and spur market vitality, according to a circular issued by the country's stock clearing agency.