Winners and losers in China's rocky stock markets last year
Education and real estate firms hit by tightening of rules; electric vehicles and solar sector take off
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
BEIJING • In a year that has seen China's "common prosperity" agenda roil global equity markets, the nation's policies also created a greater divide between stock winners and losers at home.
Policy direction looks set to drive market sentiment in 2022 as well, with a twice-a-decade party congress that could extend President Xi Jinping's term.
Jolted by Beijing's regulatory onslaught, education players such as Gaotu Techedu and property developers like China Evergrande Group are at the bottom of the MSCI China Index, which plunged 25 per cent last year. Keeping them company, not surprisingly, are some of the nation's tech titans that saw their value diminish in the world's biggest stock rout.
Meanwhile, China's push to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 spurred some big gains in the electric vehicles and solar space, while raw material shares emerged as dark horses, riding on higher commodity prices given a supply-demand mismatch.
Here are some of the unsung heroes and the overlooked laggards this past year for firms domiciled in China and Hong Kong with a market capitalisation of more than US$10 billion (S$13.5 billion).
Winners
ZANGGE MINING (+372 PER CENT)
Shares of the previously thinly traded firm in Qinghai province have been on a tear as China looks domestically to meet surging demand for raw metals. Zangge's revenues from its brine-to-lithium segment increased significantly in the first half, as prices for the mineral surged more than 400 per cent this past year.
CHONGQING SOKON INDUSTRY GROUP (+226 PER CENT)
Sokon's shares took off after it reported an 844 per cent surge in electric vehicle sales in February, buoyed by a collaboration with Huawei Technologies. A demo video of Huawei's autonomous driving capabilities went viral, and the tech firm in December revealed an upgraded tie-in vehicle with Sokon. But cracks are starting to show after a correction of 20 per cent last month.
TRINA SOLAR (+226 PER CENT)
Despite detained goods and increased scrutiny from the United States, bullish climate goals by the world's largest economies have prevailed for the maker of photo-voltaic modules.
Traders may have good reason to remain upbeat - China is still crucial for supplying nearly all of the world's solar wafers, and analysts are predicting 30 per cent growth for the sector till the end of 2025.
CHINA RESOURCES POWER HOLDINGS (+212 PER CENT)
One of China's largest power generators by market value, the company has won investor favour for its mix of wind and solar, which helps it stand out among other coal-fired operators.
Such long unloved utilities companies also became top bets as China allowed for greater fluctuations in prices after a power crunch posed a threat to its economy.
ORIENT OVERSEAS INTERNATIONAL (+140 PER CENT)
The container shipper benefited while logistics bottlenecks and port backlogs last year plagued supply chains. In the first half, Orient saw its largest six-month earnings since its 1992 initial public offering. While a rally in freight prices may still have legs amid prolonged pandemic-related disruptions, Orient's shares are now 7 per cent off a peak in August amid more pessimistic views on supply lines.
Losers
HAIDILAO INTERNATIONAL HOLDING (-72 PER CENT)
China's biggest hotpot chain was an unlikely candidate to become the year's worst performer, as consumer stocks were beneficiaries of a policy shift towards domestic-driven growth despite weaker spending. But an aggressive expansion strategy and slower-than-expected sales recovery took their toll, with US$45 billion (S$60.8 billion) of Haidilao's market value having been wiped out since a peak in February.
ALIBABA HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (-72 PER CENT), JD HEALTH INTERNATIONAL (-61 PER CENT)
The online healthcare sector was among the victims of Beijing's tightening regulatory oversight. Losses deepened amid a push for more protections and guarantees for prescription drugs sold through the Internet, followed by draft rules from regulators to ban online health consultations for initial diagnosis.
CHINA GAS HOLDINGS (-48 PER CENT)
Soaring natural gas prices and government intervention in electricity consumption generally weighed on gas distributors, but a set of disappointing earnings bruised China Gas. Its shares plunged by the most since 2000 in late November. That was after a fatal pipeline explosion raised safety concerns and hurt investor confidence.
HANSOH PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP (-50 per cent), JIANGSU HENGRUI MEDICINE (-46 per cent)
Pharmaceuticals were a mixed bag after previous years of outperformance, weighed down by disappointing earnings, policy pressure and heightened domestic competition. The broader CSI 300 Health Care Index fell 17 per cent in 2021, the first drop in three years.
XIAOMI (-44 PER CENT)
Xiaomi was one of the biggest losers among China's technology giants even as it dodged Beijing's crackdown. Despite overtaking Apple to become the world's No. 2 smartphone manufacturer, some analysts lowered price targets, citing slowing demand, strong competition and supply chain difficulties.
BLOOMBERG
