SHANGHAI: China stocks eked out gains on Tuesday, helped by strength in healthcare firms, as investors cheered Beijing’s latest three-child policy after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the world’s most populous country.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.2% at 5,341.68, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3% to 3,624.71.
Shenzhen’s start-up board ChiNext slipped 0.3%, while Shanghai’s tech-focused STAR50 index firmed 1.2%.
Leading the gains, the CSI300 healthcare index climbed 1.7%.
Birth- and fertility-related companies advanced as investors continued to cheer Beijing’s major policy support.
Married Chinese couples may have up to three children, China announced on Monday. Beijing had scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit to try and stave off risks to its economy from a rapidly aging population.
Jiangsu Aoyang Health Industry Co Ltd, Shanghai Aiyingshi, Beingmate Co Ltd, Changchun High & New Technology Industries Group Inc and Goldlok Holdings Guangdong Co Ltd climbed between 5.2% and 10%.
But analysts and traders expected limited impact from the policy shift on the market as a whole.
“The three-child policy could have an impact on China’s long-term economic growth, while its stimulus could be limited for those who already have two children,” Luo Kun, an investment manager at Chasing Securities’ equities investment arm, said.
Luo said he did not see a major impact on the stock market, noting gains for related companies could mainly be a result of short-term speculation.
China’s market regulator fined 15 private tutoring firms a combined 36.5 million yuan ($5.73 million) for false advertising and pricing frauds, the official People’s Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on the sector.
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