BIZCHINA> Center
June a cruel month for stocks
By Jin Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-01 10:22

The mainland stock market plunged a total of 20.31 percent in June, the largest monthly fall since 1994, wiping out 4.67 trillion yuan in total capitalization, amid investors' worries of China's economic growth outlook.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.45 percent to 2736.1 yesterday, with 348 out of 910 stocks closing lower. The Shenzhen Component Index tumbled 0.69 percent, or 65.43 points to close at 9370.78.

The turnover on two bourses amounted to 61.269 billion yuan, down 35.25 percent from last Friday. The total capitalization was 17.77 trillion yuan.

China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) yesterday approved the initial public offerings from Everbright Securities and China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp Ltd, which are expected to raise around 20 billion yuan.

"The large supply may further upset investors' sentiment because it is expected to suck up market capital in the already liquidity-tight stock market," said Zhu Haibin, an analyst at Essence Securities.

Everbright Securities, which will become the country's second listed stockbrokers to go public through IPO after CITIC Securities, plans to sell no more than 520 million yuan-denominated shares, and to raise around 10 billion yuan.

Beforehand, Changjiang Securities, Northeast Securities and Guoyuan Securities all became listed through back-door listing.

China South Locomotive, China's largest train maker, plans to issue no more than 3 billion A shares and raise about 8.97 billion yuan. The Beijing-based company said in the prospectus to the CSRC that it also planned to sell up to 2 billion shares publicly in Hong Kong after the A shares listing.

In mainland trading, shares of Shanghai-based real estate companies surged yesterday, due to the rumors that a deal had been reached between the Chinese government and Walt Disney to build a theme park in Shanghai. But Huang Cheng, spokeswoman of Disney yesterday denied.

Shanghai-based real estate developer Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone Development Co Ltd surged to the daily limits to close at 13.61 yuan. Another property developer Shanghai Xinmei Real Estate Co Ltd soared 8.09 percent to close at 6.68 yuan.


(For more biz stories, please visit Industries)