Morgan Stanley cuts China forecast amid weaker investment

Morgan Stanley cuts China forecast amid weaker investment
Wall Street firm says Chinese economy will lag into 2024.
AUG 17, 2023

Morgan Stanley reduced its forecasts for China’s economic growth into next year, citing weaker investment due to the property market slump and local government financial stress.

The investment bank now sees gross domestic product expanding 4.7% this year, down from an earlier projection of 5%. It also lowered next year’s forecast to 4.2% from 4.5%, economists led by Robin Xing said in a research note on Wednesday. 

The downgrades were due to “a steeper capex slowdown amid deleveraging in the property sector” and by local government financing vehicles, with knock-on effects on consumption, the economists said. “Roughly a tenth of the GDP cut is due to weaker exports,” it said.

The move follows downgrades by several other banks this week including JPMorgan Chase & Co. following worse-than-expected economic data for July. Beijing had set a growth target of around 5% for this year.

“While we have seen successive and incremental property and infrastructure easing measures since the July Politburo meeting, the steeper growth slowdown means policy is probably behind the curve again,” Morgan Stanley said.

Due to weaker demand in the economy, the bank also cut its 2023 consumer inflation forecast to 0.4% from 0.9%, and reduced its 2024 forecast to 0.9% from 1.6%.

Forecasts for producer-price inflation for this year were reduced to -3.3% from -3%, while next year’s was cut to -1.5% from -0.3%.

Latest News

Advisor moves: FiNet practice Merrit Point tucks in $1B Truist team in Florida debut
Advisor moves: FiNet practice Merrit Point tucks in $1B Truist team in Florida debut

Elsewhere, a Commonwealth team in Massachusetts converts to Cetera, while Janney draws four former Wells Fargo advisors to its Radnor, Pennsylvania office.

Trader used firm ties to freeze $3.6 million, investors allege
Trader used firm ties to freeze $3.6 million, investors allege

Clients say he copied the boss on his emails - and now they can't touch their cash.

CFTC alleges North Carolina fund manager faked profits, lost $8.6 million
CFTC alleges North Carolina fund manager faked profits, lost $8.6 million

He wired millions to his own accounts and told investors the fund was winning.

OnePoint BFG taps RISR as advisors chase business-owner clients
OnePoint BFG taps RISR as advisors chase business-owner clients

The partnership arrives as most small business owners near retirement age still don't have a formal succession plan in place.

Trust & Will cuts staff amid restructuring, AI disruption
Trust & Will cuts staff amid restructuring, AI disruption

A spokesperson for the estate planning fintech cited AI's reshaping of the industry as Trust & Will restructures its business.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.