It's the quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year's, which means trading desks are understaffed, volume is thin, and nobody wants to make any big moves. That holiday lull hit US-listed Chinese stocks particularly hard on Monday, as they tracked declines in Hong Kong alongside some genuinely disappointing economic data from the mainland.
The big names all moved lower. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) dropped 3.00% to $147.66, while JD.com, Inc. (JD) fell 1.17% and PDD Holdings Inc. (PDD) declined 1.52%. The weakness mirrored what happened in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng Index closed down 0.7% at 25,635.23 and the Hang Seng Tech Index slipped 0.3%.
When Bad Data Meets Light Trading
The selloff wasn't just about holiday doldrums. Fresh data out of China showed the industrial sector facing mounting pressure, and the numbers weren't pretty. China's National Bureau of Statistics reported that industrial profits plunged 13.1% in November, a significant deterioration from October's already-concerning 5.5% decline.
That's the kind of data that makes investors nervous, especially when they're already in cautious mode. According to reports, sentiment weakened throughout the session as hopes for a Beijing-fueled "Santa Claus rally" gradually faded. Total turnover in Hong Kong reached 224.5 billion Hong Kong dollars, sitting about 10% below the annual average and signaling that traders are keeping their powder dry ahead of the New Year holiday.
Beijing Promises Support, Markets Shrug
It's not like Chinese officials are sitting idle. Over the weekend, the Ministry of Finance announced plans to ramp up fiscal spending next year, targeting consumption and public investment. That's typically the kind of policy signal that gets investors excited, but Monday's trading suggested the market wanted to see more details before getting enthusiastic.
Yang Chao, an analyst at China Galaxy Securities, summed up the mood nicely: "As the holiday draws nearer, trading would be light and Hong Kong stocks are expected to remain rangebound."
Zooming Out on the Year
Monday's decline shouldn't overshadow what's been a remarkably strong year for some of these names. Alibaba (BABA) shares are up nearly 74% year-to-date, powered by momentum in its cloud computing business and artificial intelligence initiatives. That's the kind of annual return that makes a 3% down day feel like a minor speed bump rather than a disaster.
The broader picture here is that Chinese tech stocks are ending 2024 on uncertain footing. The industrial profit data suggests real challenges in the Chinese economy, but policy support is coming. Whether that support will be enough, and whether it arrives fast enough, are questions that will likely dominate the narrative heading into 2025. For now, investors seem content to wait and watch from the sidelines as the year winds down.