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Time for China Tech ETFs Despite Mixed-Bag Earnings?

Chinese big tech firms have recently released their first-quarter earnings reports, unveiling a mixed bag of results. While Baidu exceeded revenue and profit expectations, Tencent returned to growth after consecutive underwhelming quarters. However, Alibaba fell short of revenue estimates. Analysts opine that these results reflect an uneven recovery across companies and raise concerns about Chinese consumer spending rebounding as expected.

There has been a sense of confidence after Alibaba announced plans to spin-off its Cloud business as a separate, public traded company, as well as list its logistics and grocery divisions, per a CNBC article. This move, combined with plans to list its logistics and grocery divisions, is seen as a strategic step in the right direction and a potential boost for the Alibaba story.

China Tech Sector Outlook

Amid a regulatory environment that appears to be easing, Alibaba is considered a key beneficiary as a China proxy. Industry experts suggest that the regulatory overhaul announced by Alibaba, which allows for external funding and individual listings of its six business units, signals a potential loosening of China's grip on its domestic tech companies.

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Morgan Stanley has identified Alibaba as the primary beneficiary of this trend. Moreover, Alibaba Cloud, the company's computing unit, is seen as a valuable asset, potentially worth over $100 billion in the coming years.

Chinese tech firms attribute their financial performance to the recovery of domestic markets following the end of China's aggressive zero-Covid policy. With strict lockdowns and quarantine measures lifted, businesses and social activities have gradually resumed.

Tencent reported double-digit revenue growth, thanks to increased payment volumes and advertising spend. Both Tencent and Baidu have witnessed substantial growth in their ad businesses. While e-commerce is recovering, it may not be at the pace the market had hoped for. Analysts anticipate attractive pricing during the upcoming 618 shopping festival to drive consumer demand.

China Chip Stocks to Rally Ahead?

Moreover, China's chip stocks experienced a significant rally following Beijing's announcement to prohibit certain purchases of products from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron. The Cyberspace Administration of China barred operators of critical information infrastructure in China from buying products from Micron,

The Chinese administration cited potential network security issues and threat to national security. In response to the move, shares of Chinese chipmakers, including Hua Hong Semiconductor, SMIC, GigaDevice Semiconductor, and Ingenic semiconductor, recorded notable gains.

ETFs in Focus

KraneShares CICC China 5G & Semiconductor Index ETF KFVG, Invesco China Technology ETF CQQQ, Global X MSCI China Information Technology ETF CHIK, Rayliant Quantamental China Equity ETF RAYC, iShares MSCI China Multisector Tech ETF TCHI, KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF KWEB and KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF KTEC are some of the options to play out this trend.

Bottom Line

Although Chinese big tech firms' earnings have been a mixed bag, the overall outlook for the China tech sector remains positive. Regulatory changes and a recovering domestic market have boosted investor sentiment.

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KraneShares Hang Seng TECH Index ETF (KTEC): ETF Research Reports

Invesco China Technology ETF (CQQQ): ETF Research Reports

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB): ETF Research Reports

Global X MSCI China Information Technology ETF (CHIK): ETF Research Reports

KraneShares CICC China 5G and Semiconductor Index ETF (KFVG): ETF Research Reports

Rayliant Quantamental China Equity ETF (RAYC): ETF Research Reports

iShares MSCI China Multisector Tech ETF (TCHI): ETF Research Reports

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Zacks Investment Research