15.12.202503:24:50UTC+00Shares in Hong Kong Drop After Underwhelming China Data

Hong Kong stocks dropped by 228 points, or 0.9%, to a level of 25,746 during Monday's early trading session, undoing the gains from the previous session due to widespread losses across multiple sectors. Market sentiment diminished following recent data indicating a slowdown in China’s economic momentum, with industrial output in November marking its slowest growth in 15 months and retail sales growth declining to its lowest pace in nearly three years. China's statistics bureau further commented that economic growth is under pressure from weak external conditions and consistently subdued demand. However, the market's decline was tempered by a rebound in U.S. futures after Wall Street pulled back from record highs on Friday, as investors anticipated crucial economic data and a series of decisions from central banks. Additional support derived from policy signals, with Chinese leaders committing last week to uphold a proactive fiscal approach in 2026 to enhance consumption, investment, and overall economic growth. Among the initial declines were observed in companies like Nongfu Spring (-3.0%), Xiaomi Corp. (-2.0%), SMIC (-1.9%), and Tencent Holdings (-1.5%).