(Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp. strategist Michael Hartnett recommended buying into any weakness in Chinese stocks, on the eve of the expected announcement of fresh fiscal stimulus by officials in Beijing.
The government may detail as much as 2 trillion yuan ($283 billion) of measures at a briefing set for Saturday, according to investors and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Hartnett and his BofA team said they expect asset allocations to China to rise as forecasts for economic growth get upgraded and bond yields climb.
“We buy any China dips,” the strategist wrote in a note. He pointed to policy makers hinting that capital markets will “be used aggressively to boost domestic animal spirits and demand.”
Investors poured a record $39.1 billion into Chinese equity funds in the week ended Oct. 9, the BofA team said, citing data from EPFR Global. The benchmark CSI 300 Index has climbed more than 20% from its close on Sept. 23, the day before China’s central bank first set out a broad package of monetary stimulus measures.
Still, it’s been a wild week for Chinese stocks, which snapped a 10-day rally on Wednesday, as a pause in stimulus announcements following a weeklong holiday disappointed traders. The main equity index closed 2.8% lower on Friday, capping its worst week since late July.
Most of the market participants polled by Bloomberg expect the next round of stimulus to come in the form of government bonds. Beyond the amount of any fiscal package, the target of support will indicate where the government is looking to steer the world’s second-largest economy.
China has already cut interest rates and ramped up support for property and stock markets in a series of steps announced late September. But investors have sought fiscal interventions economists believe are crucial to lifting confidence.
--With assistance from Michael Msika.
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