China's Stock Market Struggles Amid Manufacturing Hopes and Global Uncertainty

Chinese stocks faced significant setbacks at the end of March, recording their worst monthly losses since early 2022, despite promising manufacturing data. The Middle East conflict and fears of global economic slowdown influenced investor sentiment, as key indexes in China and Hong Kong diverged in their end-of-month performance.

China's stock market concluded March with notable losses, marking its most significant decline since early 2022, underscoring investor apprehension amid Middle East tensions despite encouraging manufacturing data.

On Tuesday, the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.8%, while the CSI300 Index decreased by nearly 1%. In contrast, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index saw a slight rise of 0.15%.

Official data revealed better-than-expected manufacturing figures for March, with the PMI reaching 50.4, its highest in 12 months, yet market uncertainties persist due to a global growth slowdown and subsequent supply chain risks.

(With inputs from agencies.)