Hong Kong-listed mainland property developers faced broad selling pressure on September 11, with CIFI Holdings Group plunging more than 8% to lead the decline. Other notable losers included Sunac China and China Overseas Grand Oceans Group, both falling over 4%, while China Resources Land, Country Garden, Greentown China, and New Metro Development each dropped more than 3%.
The selloff comes amid a confluence of bearish macro factors. A stronger-than-expected US August Producer Price Index report has lifted the probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike next week to nearly 70%, while the 10-year US Treasury yield is approaching 5%. The European Central Bank also raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, intensifying fears of tighter global liquidity conditions that disproportionately weigh on highly leveraged property developers.
On the corporate front, credit concerns are escalating. Guangzhou R&F Properties and its chairman Li Sijian have been subject to consumption restrictions imposed by a Chinese court, while reports indicate that mandatory convertible bond filing applications from developers such as Country Garden have not been accepted, stalling offshore debt restructuring efforts.
At the industry level, new policies promoting sales of completed properties have fueled anxieties over developers' working capital turnover. Citi analysts anticipate heightened volatility in the mainland property sector between September and December.