China Economy

Economic data overshadowed by IMF warning; Microsoft to buy LinkedIn; Symantec to acquire Blue Coat; Blackstone raises long-term fund; MKM’s Strugger on volatility prospects.

Saudi Arabia tries to drive demand by lifting lending cap; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies, 79.

Rising domestic retail investment and new openings for foreigners should dampen volatility and deepen liquidity of mainland stocks.

China’s relative stability is drawing institutional investors from around the world at a time when many markets are wildly erratic. The firm whose analysts do the best job of covering Chinese equities is BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research, according to Institutional Investor’s second annual survey.

Fang Xinghai, director general of Shanghai’s Financial Services Office, discusses the city’s future.

The sheer size and growth of China’s economy are almost guaranteed to give Shanghai a much bigger role in global financial markets, but major reforms are needed to turn the city into a truly international financial center.