China shares end lower, record worst monthly loss in over 1 year

Ming Yang Smart Energy

30/09/2020 09:02

* SSEC -0.2%, CSI300 -0.1%
    * HK->Shanghai Connect daily quota used -0.9%
    * FTSE China A50 +0.1%, 

    BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Sept 30 (Reuters) - China shares closed
lower on Wednesday as losses in real estate and materials stocks
outweighed optimism from upbeat factory activity surveys, with
the markets recording their worst monthly loss since May 2019.
    
** The Shanghai Composite index  .SSEC  ended down 0.2% at
3,218.05 and the blue-chip CSI300 index  .CSI300  0.1%. For the
month, the Shanghai Composite index lost 5.23% and the CSI300
index 4.75%.
    
** Markets fell in September mainly due to worries over ongoing
Sino-U.S. tensions and fluctuations in overseas markets on
concerns about a second wave of coronavirus outbreak.
    
** Shanghai shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International
Corp  688981.SS , China's largest chipmaker, slid by 25% during
the month amid the newly imposed export restrictions by the
United States, citing a risk of military use.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2GN07T
    
** China's factory activity extended solid growth in September,
surveys showed, as the nation's crucial exports engine revved up
on improving overseas demand and underlined a steady economic
recovery from the coronavirus shock.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2GR0DD
    
** China's consumer stocks climbed ahead of Golden Week holiday,
as investors expect robust consumption during the break, with
the CSI300 consumer staples index  .CSI000912  gained 0.59%.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2GR0TU
    
** China's markets will be closed for the national holiday from
Oct. 1 to Oct. 8.
    
** The start-up board ChiNext Composite index  .CNT  was higher
by 0.44% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index  .STAR50  was
up 2.07%​.
    
** Investors may actively fish opportunities amid thin trade and
external market uncertainties ahead of the week-long holiday,
according to China Fortune Securities Co.
    
** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index
 .MIAPJ0000PUS  was firmer by 0.05%, while Japan's Nikkei index
 .N225  closed down 1.5%.
    
** At 0707 GMT, the yuan  CNY=CFXS  was quoted at 6.8085 per
U.S. dollar, 0.09% firmer than the previous close of 6.8149. 
   

 (Reporting by Cheng Leng in Beijing, Luoyan Liu and Andrew
Galbraith in Shanghai; editing by Uttaresh.V)
 ((cheng.leng@thomsonreuters.com; +8610-5669-2129;))