Chinese stocks rebound from 14-month lows as AI firms unveil stellar forecasts

China's stock market rebounded from 14-month lows on Friday, buoyed by AI-related companies proposing share buybacks and forecasting impressive growth. However, the market still faces a challenging week, with the CSI300 Index projected to drop around 3%, marking the worst performance since July. Meanwhile, global equities enjoyed a bounce-back after a turbulent day of selling in AI stocks, primarily due to fears over increased expenditures on AI infrastructure as interest rates rise.

The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1%, while the blue-chip CSI300 Index saw an increase of 0.8% by midday. Tech shares, too, regained some of their recent losses following announcements from at least 10 AI supply chain companies, such as optical transceiver maker Eoptolink and chip equipment maker Piotech, as well as other tech firms like MetaX Integrated Circuits and Hygon Information Technology.

These companies unveiled share buyback or stock purchase plans and provided third-quarter profit forecasts indicating robust growth.

Despite the optimism, sentiment remains cautious due to global liquidity constraints, as noted in a recent report from Morgan Stanley. Weak domestic demand and less supportive liquidity and flows continue to constrain index upside. Additionally, US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh expressed optimism about the impact of AI on the real economy, but expressed uncertainty regarding its immediate effect on employment.

He also emphasized the need for the Fed to consider financial stability risks, as market participants keep a close watch on the trajectory of US monetary policy.