On Monday, China stocks surprisingly plummeted more than 8 percent, which was the biggest one-day drop the nation experienced since 2007. The decline shattered the peacefulness that had fallen over mainland markets last week, raising questions over whether government efforts to prop up prices are feasible.
The decrease in China stocks turnings have fueled fears among global investors about the broader health of the world's second largest economy, hitting prices of growth-sensitive commodities including copper. According to Reuters, it crushed three weeks of relative calm in China's unstable stock markets since Beijing let loose a support measures salvo to halt a slump that had started in mid-June.
"The lesson from China's last equity bubble is that, once sentiment has soured, policy interventions aimed at shoring up prices have only a short-lived effect," Capital Economics analysts wrote.
For months, Chinese stock investors have been observing bad economic bulletin based on what would incite more aggressive policy easing, which was seen as positive for stocks since it pushes cheap money into the market. Some saw the government-induced recovery in share prices in recent weeks as itself provoking the crash.
For analysts, the main problem for China's stocks decline is that a market that climbed so abruptly on the expectations of aggressive easing from Beijing is seeing diminishing returns from future loosening, particularly if the United States adjusts its monetary policy.
"The main factor of today's fall is attributable to the uncertainty of the future monetary policy," Northeast Securities stock analyst Du Changchun said. "The rising CPI, particularly the rising pork price, has made it harder for the monetary authorities to roll out more easing measures."
Meanwhile, the collapse of China's stocks has spread across developing nations as oil's further retreat into a bear market sent Russian assets tumbling. Bloomberg Business noted the Shanghai Composite Index lost 8.5 percent on concern a three-week rally generated by unprecedented government intervention is unsustainable as the economic outlook deteriorates.
Due to the stocks' decline, 2,247 companies across the board have fallen, leaving only 77 gainers. As per The Sydney Morning Herald, officials allowed over 1,400 companies to stop trading, barred major shareholders from selling stakes, restricted short selling and deferred initial public offerings. The International Monetary Fund has also advised China to ultimately loosen its support measures.
