China stocks fall as investors book profit in EV, healthcare firms

China stocks fell on Wednesday, dragged down by electric vehicle makers and healthcare firms as investors booked profits, while worries over a slowing economy also weighed on market sentiment. ** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.29% at 3,559.69 and China's blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.58%.

China stocks fell on Wednesday, dragged down by electric vehicle makers and healthcare firms as investors booked profits, while worries over a slowing economy also weighed on market sentiment.

** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.29% at 3,559.69 and China's blue-chip CSI300 index was down 0.58%. ** Leading the losses, the healthcare sub-index fell 2.11%, while the new energy vehicle sector lost 3.73%. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong rose 0.12% to 8,459.53, while the Hang Seng Index was up 0.02% at 24,117.26. ** The smaller Shenzhen index was down 0.92%, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 1.96% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index was down 1.19%​.

** Shares of Chinese real estate developers surged after the country's central bank pledged to roll out more policy measures to stabilise the economy. ** Dalian iron ore jumped nearly 5%, leading ferrous materials' rebound in top steel producer China following three sessions of losses, on bets of more policy easing.

** Expectations of easing from the People's Bank of China while bracing for tighter U.S. monetary policy "will spur traders to punt on rates-sensitive assets such as commodities and bonds," Hong Hao, head of research at BOCOM International, wrote in a research note. ** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.57%, while Japan's Nikkei index was down 2.30%. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.3523 per U.S. dollar, 0.02% firmer than the previous close of 6.3537.

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