{
  "id": 19077386,
  "title": "French investment giant Ardian looks to tap China’s ‘more reasonable’ valuations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/french-investment-giant-ardian-looks-to-tap-chinas-more-reasonable",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-09T03:00:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Business",
    "slug": "scmp-business",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3373730/french-investment-giant-ardian-looks-tap-chinas-more-reasonable-valuations"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "French private equity firm Ardian is eyeing potential investments in China's undervalued assets as the country's liquidity slows, according to executives. Ardian, which manages over US$200 billion in assets, plans to target top Chinese companies in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and business services, as European investors seek diversification. Jan Philipp Schmitz, Ardian's executive president, noted that China's lower corporate valuations make it an attractive market for European investors. Ardian, spun off from French insurer AXA in 2013, is one of Europe's largest private equity firms, with a focus on real assets and private credit across various regions. The company currently has 15 employees in Hong Kong, where it opened an office just over a year ago. Jason Yao, deputy co-head of Asia secondaries and primaries at Ardian, highlighted the potential in China's private equity secondaries market, noting that China accounts for about 80% of Asia's private market by net asset value. China's private equity market has faced a liquidity slowdown in recent years, with exit turnover dropping to US$17 billion in 2023. Despite a strong rebound in Hong Kong's IPO market, the total transaction value remains far below its peak of US$128 billion in 2021. Ardian favors mature, well-established companies with strong management and free cash flow in China. The recent wave of IPO withdrawals in Hong Kong could signal a healthy trend, according to Schmitz. Ardian has over 50 funds and more than 20 co-investments in China across various sectors, while Chinese clients have shown increased interest in investing in Europe amid ongoing trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels. Alternative assets, including private equity, are also gaining popularity due to their higher returns and lower volatility, making them a good option for hedging against artificial intelligence hype. Ardian sees Hong Kong as strategically valuable for gaining from China-Europe capital flows and the growing momentum in China's private market.",
  "summary": "French private equity giant Ardian sees prime opportunities to snap up quality assets in China amid a liquidity slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy, as it looks to meet European investors’ strong demand for diversification, according to company executives. Ardian, which managed over US$200 billion worth of assets as of March, planned to target Chinese market leaders in various…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ardian, a $200B+ private equity firm, targets China's undervalued assets.",
    "China's lower corporate valuations attract European investors.",
    "Ardian sees Hong Kong as strategic for China-Europe capital flows."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Targeting undervalued Chinese assets provides European investors a strategic way to diversify portfolios and hedge against artificial intelligence hype while navigating the country's current liquidity slowdown.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}