Chinese stocks fell on Monday tracking a global sell-off, as sentiment for equities soured on growing fears about a US recession, and on caution ahead of fresh US-China trade talks. The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 2.4 percent to 3,742.83 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index closed down 2 percent to 3,043.03 points.
On Friday, all three major US stock indexes marked their biggest one-day percentage losses since Jan. 3. The Dow slid 1.8 percent, the S&P 500 was off 1.9 percent and the Nasdaq dropped 2.5 percent. "For the short term, some foreign money could retreat from mainland's consumer firms as the Wall Street selloff could lead to lower overall equity exposure of foreign investors," TF Securities said in report.
The net outflows via the northbound legs of the Stock Connect programme linking mainland and Hong Kong reached about 10.4 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) on Monday, data from Refinitiv showed. "Though in the long run, it would help the overall A-share market, in particular the recovery in the valuations of growth stocks, as the unexpected US economic slowdown offers room for further global easing, and for China to lower its domestic interest rates," the brokerage said.
There was also caution ahead of the latest round of trade talks.
United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for talks scheduled to start on March 28, while a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu He will visit Washington next week, the White House said on Saturday.
The largest percentage gainers on the main Shanghai Composite index were Jiangsu Sunshine Co Ltd, up 10.06 percent, followed by Harbin Dongan Auto Engine Co Ltd and Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Co Ltd, both up 10.05 percent.
The largest percentage losers in the Shanghai index were Flat Glass Group Co Ltd, down 10 percent, followed by Shanghai Phoenix Enterprise Group Co Ltd and Shanghai Xintonglian Packaging Co Ltd, both losing 9.99 percent. So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is up 22 percent and the CSI300 has risen 24.3 percent, while China's H-share index listed in Hong Kong is up 10.9 percent. Shanghai stocks have risen 3.47 percent this month.