(Bloomberg) — Chinese stocks traded in a narrow range as investors awaited a press conference at which officials are expected to announce details about efforts to revive consumption.
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The benchmark CSI 300 Index was 0.1% lower after jumping 2.4% Friday following a report that authorities were planning to hold a briefing Monday on the topic of boosting consumer spending. A gauge of Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong trimmed earlier gains to be up 0.8%.
Optimism toward China’s policies has been rising. Beijing will promote “reasonable growth” in wages and set up a mechanism to adjust the minimum salary, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing a State Council statement. Other measures include stabilizing the stock and property markets and offering incentives to raise the birth rate, the report said.
While the consumption measures are a step in the right direction, they lack the “direct consumption boost that some investors may be hoping for,” said Jun Rong Yeap, a market strategist at IG Asia Pte in Singapore. “The authorities may likely have more stimulus options available, but there may be some holding back for now given the uncertainties around US trade policies.”
Officials from China’s finance ministry, commerce ministry, the central bank and other government bodies are scheduled to hold their press conference at 3 p.m. Beijing time Monday on the topic of boosting consumption.
Chinese shares largely shrugged off a raft of economic data published Monday, even as it showed some signs of green shoots. Retail sales and industrial output both rose more than economists forecast, while the jobless rate climbed from the end of last year.
Chinese stocks have outperformed global markets this year, in part due to a rally in technology shares driven by the DeepSeek artificial-intelligence model. They have also been helped by optimism over policy stimulus after the government set an annual economic growth target of about 5% at this month’s gathering of the National People’s Congress.
The MSCI China Index has climbed about 20% in 2025, while the S&P 500 Index has dropped around 4%.
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