No 815 - Covid arrives in Shanghai

　　磐石金融有限公司（ BANDS Financial Limited ）在香港注册成立，是一家持有香港证监会（SFC）2号牌照的期货经纪公司，业务涉及中国以外全球大部分活跃期货及期权市场。

　　Covid arrived in Shanghai last night, as authorities announced 5 local infections and closed a Puxi milk tea shop as medium risk. This weekend I expect masks and temperature checks to be required in my local shops, and restaurants will probably require phone numbers as well. However, local media is already publishing a “family tree” of the relationships between the 5, essentially who passed the virus to whom, and some 304 “close contacts” have been put under quarantine while a further 30k have been tested. On a wider issue, travel from Shanghai will become a lot more problematic as we now wait for additional cases, should they appear.Although ignored by the bank analysts, parts of the media are now picking up on the “what if” story should virus prevention measures in China impact the operation of the Chinese ports. As frequently stated in this letter, China has seven of the ten largest ports in the world. Although freight rates from China are rising once again, freight rates prior to the Chinese New Year are difficult to read as New Year shutdowns complicate expectations.This morning the CSI 300, the capitalization-weighted stock market index combining the top 300 stocks traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange is down a further .50% after falling 1.8% yesterday and is at its lowest level since November 2020. Looking at it another way the CSI 300 is down 4% from the start of the year and down 19% from its February 2021 high. This particular sell-off originates in further unsteadiness in the property sector. Best regards