Hong Kong stocks will not rise without a strong narrative because liquidity is too poor. x.com
Macro_Lin
Semiconductor Analyst, AI Chip Design, Ex-Quant/Portfolio Manager
Hong Kong equities look weak for three reasons. Overseas capital is not returning as strongly as media suggest, equity fundraising in Hong Kong has surged, and southbound inflows from mainland China are far weaker than before. x.com
China's ban on offshore brokers serving mainland residents means a long-term liquidity drain for Chinese ADRs and Hong Kong stocks. Eight ministries jointly barred foreign institutions from cross-border securities services; existing users can only sell for two years before forced account closure, and Futu was fined up to 1.85 billion yuan. With mainland retail investors' route overseas sealed off, new money will find it increasingly hard to enter these markets. x.com
China's crackdown on illegal cross-border brokers such as Tiger, Futu and Longbridge is milder for Hong Kong stocks than it looks, and likely positive longer term. Existing accounts can only sell for two years, so selling is gradual rather than a stampede, and legal channels like Stock Connect, QDII and Wealth Connect are untouched. Once old positions clear, that money should return via compliant southbound flows, adding liquidity. The hit falls mainly on the brokers' own shares. x.com
Chinese stocks are back in a secular bear market, and a break of the USD/HKD peg, now nearing 7.85 again, would trigger financial armageddon. China large caps failed to hold above their monthly 200-period average, the Hang Seng is retesting key trend, and Hong Kong 10-year yields are rising. China has led global markets by about three quarters: it peaked in 1Q21 before US stocks and gold in 4Q21, and its bounce peaked in 4Q25, pointing to global weakness from 2Q26. This bet could be wrong. x.com
Chinese stocks are uninvestable for long-term investors because the value created goes to the Communist Party, not shareholders. The Chinese index is down 16% since 1991 while the S&P 500 rose 1,570% and the Nasdaq 3,440%, and Alibaba has gained just 27.8% in 12 years since its IPO. When companies grow too strong, the party hits them with megafines, sidelines founders like Jack Ma or blocks game releases as at Tencent, and foreign investors own only VIE contracts, not shares. x.com x.com x.com … Show more
Hong Kong stocks are among the best destinations for global money, combining low valuations, high dividends, steady inflows and a repricing of Chinese assets. Southbound buying hit a record HK$37.2B on March 9 after a sharp drop left quality assets cheap. The Hang Seng trades near 12-13x earnings, versus 20x-plus for the US and 22x-plus for Japan. Iran turmoil has dented Dubai as a haven, Middle East inquiries about Hong Kong family offices rose 50%, and regulators are curbing insider trading. … Show more
AI-for-science stocks show a typical pump-and-dump setup driven by Chinese and Hong Kong hedge funds, and more pumps and dumps are likely. These funds trade narratives and price in an extremely bright future, so consensus forms fast and crowded positions reverse easily. When Chinese sell-side analysts or the Chinese community on X are loud about a thesis, it is a trade to avoid. Fundamentals still look exciting, and key moving averages are the signal to re-enter long. x.com x.com
Chinese stocks remain a value trap because cheap valuations don't matter if shareholders keep getting diluted. Per Bloomberg, Alibaba plans to raise about $10.2 billion by selling 710 million shares at HK$112.7 each, a 3.6% discount to Friday's ADR close. x.com
Chinese stocks should benefit from the development raised in a post the author replies to, though which individual name to pick is unclear. x.com
China large caps have one of the worst charts out there, and sooner or later the rest of the world will impose heavy tariffs on China, raising the question of what Beijing does when it gets desperate. x.com