China stock valuations sink to 5-year low, led by finance sector

Price-book ratios slump amid investor doubts over lenders' asset quality

20240125N Shanghai stock board

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 3% on Jan. 25 after measures to encourage lending, but still lags exchanges in the U.S. and Japan. © Reuters

NORIYUKI DOI, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- Price-to-book ratios at Chinese companies have dropped to a five-year low, as the real estate market slump and souring economic sentiment have dented investor confidence, especially in finance stocks.

The average P/B ratio -- the value of shares compared with net assets -- at 4,880 major Chinese companies stood at about 1.7 as of Monday, according to QUICK-FactSet. This is the lowest since October 2018 and close to the all-time nadir of 1.52 from 2005.

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