A dichotomy has opened up in investor attitudes towards China’s A-shares ahead of a key decision by MSCI, the index provider, on whether to include some of them in its benchmark emerging markets index.
Foreign funds that invest through the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) scheme and Chinese mutual funds exhibited dwindling enthusiasm for A-shares in the quarter to March 31 this year, according to Wind Information, a data provider.
However, participants in the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, a channel opened last year that gives international retail investors access to A-shares, put a net Rmb13bn ($2bn) into A-shares in the quarter, according to estimates by Wind.