Chinese stocks wrapped up a momentous week marked by a $1.4 trillion debt swap program that fell short of many investors’ calls for more direct government support. For many, the reaction among investors only reinforced the need to look at longer-term opportunities in individual stocks that haven’t changed. The Ministry of Finance signaled at a closely watched press conference Friday that more fiscal support could come next year , while in the near term it focused on addressing local government debt. The relatively muted measures come as China gears up for heightened trade relations with the U.S. under President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose high tariffs on imported goods. Through it all, the CSI 300 stock index in Shanghair managed to rise nearly 6.6% last week, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rallied 3.2%. Stopping further weakness On a macroeconomic level, China is trying to ensure inflation and employment don’t deteriorate further, said Liqian Ren, leader of quantitative investment at WisdomTree. While Ren doesn’t expect a return to rapid growth, she is watching how Chinese companies are able to build up their brands and charge a premium, maturing from models that previously competed only on price. “So I think consumer companies like Anta , I think not many people have understood outside China, but it is really becoming the world’s leading sportswear company,” Ren said. “I think they are also going to make a global play soon. But not many Americans know about the brand.” But if Anta continues on its present path, perhaps in 10 years consumers will regard the company the same as “Adidas or other so called foreign sports brands,” Ren said. “That’s one thing that I am personally paying attention to.” Hong Kong-listed Anta sells sportswear under its own brand while owning Fila and high-end brand Descente, among others. The company said in October that Anta-brand retail sales for the third quarter rose by the mid-single digits from a year ago, while that of Fila weakened and other brands surged by as much as 50%. Anta shares are up 18% so far in 2024. China’s efforts to rival foreign brands have not diminished, regardless of the slowdown. Baidu is reportedly scheduled Tuesday to release its own artificial intelligence-connected glasses, vying with Meta’s RayBans product. Xpeng expansion Electric car startup Xpeng in the past week announced its own humanoid robot , and a new $26,000 car called the P7+ that’s already racked up more than 30,000 preorders for deliveries due to start this month. The products are largely only going to be available in China, at least initially. “For Chinese EVs, the door is now closed, and re-shoring is impractical,” Macquarie analysts said in a Nov. 7 report. “Our top pick is XPeng, a China pure play.” “XPeng has no exposure to the U.S. market and no current plans to enter the market,” the analysts said. “Domestic volume has room to ramp quickly, led by new competitive models like the M03 and P7+. The successful launch of the M03 has helped to alleviate investor concerns about supply chain management and product competitiveness.” “Upcoming catalysts, such as the pure-vision ADAS M03 and the launch of a hybrid system car could benefit from domestic confidence/consumption recovery and are unaffected by geopolitical events,” the Macquarie analysts said. About half of Xpeng’s 20,000-plus deliveries in each of the past two months have come from its lower-priced Mona M03 car. In the consumer sector, Macquarie’s top pick is Yum China , which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in China. “YUMC is our top idea in the consumer sector given that it is a pure domestic market play,” the analysts said. “The company’s strategy shift towards franchisee stores and new store format K COFFEE as well as Pizza Hut WoW would be a secular growth driver, which can decouple from geopolitical risk.” Yum China has ramped up shareholder return targets to $4.5 billion in 2026 from $3 billion in 2024, they added. Yum China on Nov. 4 reported third-quarter earnings, showing operating profit grew by 15% year-on-year to $371 million. Xpeng is due to release quarterly results on Nov. 19. In the week ahead, internet giants Tencent and Alibaba both report earnings. The central government is scheduled Friday Nov. 15 to release retail sales and industrial data for October. “You have to be very willing to suffer the negative sentiment to invest in China,” Ren said. There are often “long stretch[es] of negative sentiment which really test a person’s risk-taking.” But she also highlighted that Chinese stocks can serve as a hedge to other equity markets. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: T-Mobile — Shares pulled back 11% after the company’s wireless subscribers for the first quarter missed Wall Street estimates. T-Mobile reported 495,000 postpaid phone additions in the first-quarter, while analysts polled by StreetAccount were looking for 504,000. Alphabet — The Google parent company gained about 2% on the heels of better-than-expected first-quarter results . Alphabet reported $2.81 per share on revenue of $90.23 billion, while analysts polled by LSEG forecast $2.01 in earnings per share and $89.12 billion in revenue. Skechers — Shares fell 4.8% after the footwear maker posted weaker-than-expected revenue for the first quarter and withdrew its 2025 guidance due to ” macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies .” The company’s earnings for the quarter came in above analysts’ estimates, however. Gilead Sciences — The biopharmaceutical stock fell 2.5% after first-quarter revenue came in at $6.67 billion, missing the consensus forecast of $6.81 billion from analysts polled by LSEG. However, the company earned $1.81 per share, excluding items, in the quarter, beating Wall Street’s estimate of $1.79 a share. Saia — Shares of the shipping company fell 31% after first-quarter results missed estimates and showed a slowdown in March. Saia reported $1.86 in earnings per share on $787.6 million in revenue. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting $2.76 in earnings per share on $812.8 million in revenue. BMO Capital Markets downgraded the stock to market perform from outperform and said the issues were “company specific.” Intel — The chipmaker declined 7% after Intel’s current quarter missed investors’ expectations. Intel forecast revenue in the June quarter of $11.8 billion at the midpoint, while consensus forecasts called for $12.82 billion, per LSEG. Management anticipates earnings will break even. Intel also announced plans to reduce both its operational and capital expenses. Boston Beer — Shares of the Samuel Adams brewer were more than 1% higher after better-than-expected first-quarter results. Boston Beer notched earnings per share of $2.16 on revenue of $453.9 million, while analysts polled by FactSet were looking for 56 cents per share on revenue of $435.6 million. Boston Beer cautioned that tariffs could hurt full-year earnings. Tesla — The Elon Musk-helmed electric vehicle company surged 10%. Shares have advanced more than 17% this week as the broader market tries to recover from a steep sell-off for much of April. — CNBC’s Jesse Pound, Alex Harring and Sean Conlon contributed reporting. Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today’s dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited!
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Meta Platforms — The Facebook and Instagram parent jumped about 3%. Meta cut staff in its Reality Labs division, CNBC reported. Alphabet — The Google and YouTube owner climbed more than 4% after first-quarter results topped Wall Street expectations. Alphabet earned $2.81 per share on $90.23 billion in revenue for the quarter, while analysts surveyed by LSEG had estimated $2.01 per share and $89.12 billion in revenue. T-Mobile — Shares of the telecommunications company fell 5.5% after it reported fewer first-quarter wireless phone subscribers than the Street expected, seeing 495,000 postpaid phone additions versus analysts’ call for 504,000, according to StreetAccount. Earnings and revenue for the first quarter topped Street estimates. Intel — The chipmaker fell 7.2% after the outlook for the current quarter disappointed investors. Intel guided for revenue in the June quarter to come in at $11.8 billion at the midpoint, less than consensus calls for $12.82 billion, according to LSEG. Management anticipates earnings will break even. Intel also announced plans to reduce its operational and capital expenses. Gilead Sciences — The biopharmaceutical stock slid 3.9% after posting first-quarter revenue of $6.67 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $6.81 billion from analysts polled by LSEG. Gilead earned $1.81 per share, excluding items, in the quarter, while Wall Street penciled in $1.79. Skechers — The footwear maker slumped 6% after reporting lower-than-expected first-quarter revenue and withdrew its 2025 forward financial forecasts on account of ” macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies .” Skechers’ bottom-line results came in above analysts’ forecasts. Charles Schwab — The financial services provider advanced 1.4% after Goldman Sachs upgraded shares to buy from neutral, calling Schwab a resilient growth stock amid an uncertain backdrop. Hasbro — The toy company rose about 1% one day after soaring 15%. Citigroup raised its investment opinion to buy from neutral, saying Hasbro’s stronger-than-expected Wizards of the Coast business outweighs any uncertainty stemming from tariff policy, according to analyst James Hardiman. Boston Beer — Shares of the Samuel Adams brewer rose nearly 3% after first-quarter results beat expectations. Boston Beer generated $2.16 in earnings per share on $453.9 million of revenue, while analysts surveyed by FactSet looked for 56 cents per share on $435.6 million in revenue. Boston Beer warned in its outlook that tariffs could hurt full-year earnings. — CNBC’s Alex Harring and Jesse Pound contributed reporting. Get Your Ticket to Pro LIVE Join us at the New York Stock Exchange! Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today’s dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12. Join interactive Pro clinics led by our Pros Carter Worth, Dan Niles and Dan Ives, with a special edition of Pro Talks with Tom Lee. You’ll also get the opportunity to network with CNBC experts, talent and other Pro subscribers during an exciting cocktail hour on the legendary trading floor. Tickets are limited!
“I think having that professionally managed portfolio is really beneficial to clients,” Coyne told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week. “We’re seeing just… greater volatility [and] uncertainty across both the equity and fixed income markets.“
According to Coyne, the T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Equity ETF suits investors who are looking for long-term growth.
“The objective of the fund is to outperform the S&P 500 with lower volatility and greater tax efficiency,” he said. “It’s also a more concentrated portfolio, typically holding around a hundred names.”
The T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Equity ETF is down about 5% so far this year while the S&P 500 is off about 7% However, the ETF is up close to 8% over the past year — roughly identical to the S&P 500’s performance.
Coyne notes the T. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF follows a similar strategy, but with a heavier weighting in top tech stocks.
“This is more of a large-cap growth product [T Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF],” he said. “There are components of characteristics of both passive and active here. This fund is actually managed by our North American directors of research. So again, strong fundamental research is going into the stock selection.”
Both the T. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF and S&P 500 are down around 7% since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, the fund is up almost 9% over the past year. That’s less than one percent better than the S&P 500’s performance.
T. Rowe Price U.S. Equity Research ETF vs. S&P 500
‘Some form of bear market’
Strategas Securities’ Todd Sohn thinks investment demand for active managers will continue to be strong.
“This is the type of the environment where it [active management] can actually shine,” the firm’s senior ETF and technical strategist said. “We are in some form of bear market. This is where the active manager really can come into hand and offer their solution they are doing right.”