Still plenty of upside to Chinese stocks: Citi

Investing.com -- Citi analysts remain optimistic about Chinese stocks, citing significant upside potential even after a recent rally to year-to-date highs.

Following the Chinese government's announcement of economic stimulus measures, Citi's China equity strategy team is maintaining its bullish stance, forecasting additional gains as further stimulus packages are expected.

According to Citi, the government is likely to introduce a RMB3 trillion consumption support package, adding to the already positive impact of the recent stimulus.

"We remain bullish because Chinese equity valuations are still low compared with those of emerging market stocks, even after the past three weeks of share price gains," the analysts noted.

The bank explains that Chinese stocks have room to grow further, especially as the economy continues to receive support.

Citi has also raised its end-June 2025 targets for major Chinese stock indexes by over 20%. They now project the Hang Seng Index to reach 26,000, the CSI 300 to hit 4,600, and the MSCI China Index to climb to 84.

The upward revision is said to highlight the potential for continued gains in the Chinese market.

Additionally, Citi believes the upcoming results season from mid-October to early November could see FY25 earnings forecasts revised upward, providing further momentum for Chinese equities.

"We see potential for FY25 earnings forecasts to be hiked," the report stated, signaling that the market may continue to outperform in the near term.

Elsewhere, the bank said it sees "the Chinese economic stimulus as generally positive for Japanese stocks, with names that have high exposure to China or high correlation with Chinese stocks especially promising."

Source: Investing.com