The Shanghai Composite rose 4.8 per cent on Monday, snapping a two-day losing streak including its second-biggest loss of 2015. Turnover was more than a third above the 100-day average, suggesting Chinese investors weren't scared off from Thursday's plunge and widespread talk of a bubble bursting.
All ten sectors recovered, with utility stocks climbing 6.9 per cent. One hundred and thirty eight stocks even hit the 10 per cent upward limit; just seven hit the downward limit. There are 1,090 members in the index, which has shot up 136 per cent over the past 12 months to become the world's third largest stock index by market capitalisation.
In tech-heavy Shenzhen — home to the world's seventh largest bourse — the index rose even further, adding 4.8 per cent to set a new record high. It's now up 106.8 per cent this year alone, or 178 per cent in 12 months.
The Monday rebound came after new data underscored the difficulty policymakers face as the world's second largest economy slows. China's official purchasing managers' index for the non-manufacturing sector, for instance, hit its lowest since December 2008.
That was used as a catalyst for buying, which sounds counter-intuitive but is consistent with trading patterns since last summer: investors are equating slowdown with policy easing and have been stuffing cash, including record amounts of borrowed cash, into the equity market.
