Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite in focus ahead of Xi-Trump summit

The Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite were in a narrow range on Thursday as investors waited for the Donald Trump and Xi Jinping summit in Beijing. They were trading at H$26,388 and CNY 4,242, respectively.

Chinese stocks wavers ahead of Trump-Xi summit 

The Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng indices moved sideways as investors waited for the first summit between Trump and Jinping. 

The two leaders will have a lot to talk about, including trade and the ongoing US-Iran war that has pushed energy prices much higher. Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) have both settled above the key $100 resistance level.

Data released this week showed that US inflation has surged, with the Consumer Price Index soaring to 3.8% and the Producer Price Index (PPI) hitting 6%. 

Trump said that he will have a long conversation with Xi about Iran, with the hope that the Chinese president will help to convince the Iranians to reach an agreement. However, in reality, this will be a hard call as China is comfortable to have the war continuing for longer, a move that will keep weakening its top competitor.

The two sides will also discuss trade issues, with the goal of opening up their economies. Trump, who has been accompanied by several billionaires, has said that he wants China to open its economy to the United States. Beijing has always argued that it was open for business, as evidenced by Tesla's and Apple’s success there.

Trump has hinted that he was open to open the US economy to more Chinese manufacturing companies, a move that would have mutual benefits. China would gain more foothold in the US, while the US would benefit from more manufacturing activity.

Most importantly, Trump will seek to ensure the crucial supply of Chinese rare earth materials that are essential in the manufacturing industry.

The two crucial companies to watch in this summit will be Boeing and NVIDIA. China is expected to make a large Boeing order, while NVIDIA will likely benefit if the two agree on shipments.

Tencent, JD, and Alibaba earnings

The Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite indices are also reacting to key earnings by the biggest Chinese companies.

Tencent stock price remained in a bear market after falling by over 32% from its highest point this year, even after releasing strong numbers and boosting its share buybacks. Its revenue jumped by 9% as its net profit jumped by 11% amid strong AI progress. 

Alibaba, on the other hand, surged as the company maintained a bullish outlook because of its AI investments. It rose even after the management reported a sharp deceleration in profit, with the EBITDA falling by 84% YoY. Its cloud revenue jumped by 38% YoY.

Meanwhile, JD.com stock jumped in Hong Kong and in the United States after the company continued its growth. Its revenue jumped by 12% during the quarter.

More Chinese companies like Baidu, NetEase, Lenovo, and Meituan will publish their financial results later this month.

Chinese equities have continued to lag behind their American rivals this year, with the Hang Seng Index rising by 4% and the Shanghai Composite rising by over 8%. In contrast, top US indices like the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 have soared to a record high.