
Young Chinese investors turn stock market losses into Halloween costumes, reflecting fear and self-deprecation about market declines
AI-generated summary
China's stock market has shrunk in value since its peak in May, with the Science and Technology Innovation 50 index down 40% in four months.
Young Chinese investors have turned the tragic situation of being cut off in the stock market into a Halloween joke. Bloomberg reported that as of the end of October, China’s stock market had evaporated US$3.5 trillion (NT$114.11 trillion) from its peak in May. For an entire generation, this level of horror is enough to become a Halloween costume to “coexist” with zombies and monsters.
Bloomberg reported that Chinese investors drew party inspiration from their losses, with photos appearing on social platforms of people dressed up as index drops or trading platform screens.
In Hangzhou, China's technology hub, a woman wearing clothes that showed the K-line chart of the Shanghai Composite Index plummeting was holding leeks in her hand, which meant that naive retail investors were repeatedly "harvested" in the market.
In Shenzhen, someone was wearing a cardboard box showing the sharp decline of the Shenzhen Composite Index and the Science and Technology Innovation Composite Index. Another person was wearing a cardboard box that showed a decline in the K-line chart and had the words "Flush Reverse", which was a mockery of the stock trading app "Flush". He also held up a mobile phone with the words "Stay away from the fraudulent market" written on it.
In the early morning of the 2nd, an investor posted on Weibo, "I'm so scared of Monday's A that I can't sleep. It's 10,000 times scarier than the ghosts on Halloween." (A refers to China's A-share market).
The decline in the Chinese stock market has been more severe than other global markets. The STAR50 index, which focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor stocks, plummeted 40% in less than 4 months, with a market value of US$480 billion (NT$15.64 trillion) evaporated. The CSI 300 fell more than 20% from its swing high last month and entered a bear market.
Chinese stocks rose as Chinese media reported that regulators would meet with banks and securities firms to discuss measures to support capital markets, a sign that Beijing is working to stem the decline.

Wilson, chief U.S. stock strategist at Morgan Stanley, pointed out that although mid-term elections, AI spending pressure and liquidity restrictions may lead to a short-term correction in the S&P 500 index, historical data shows that the market usually goes higher after the election. Investors are advised to buy on dips and are optimistic about the S&P 500 at 8,000 points.

Hong Kong Fintech Week opened on November 2. Chief Executive John Lee delivered a speech saying that Hong Kong will seize global opportunities through strategies such as the Northern Metropolitan Area. The event attracted about 1,000 industry leaders and 800 exhibitors from around the world. Companies such as Du Xiaoman released large financial enhancement models at the meeting.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange announced that its derivatives clearinghouse will accept eligible RMB bonds as non-cash collateral from now on. On the first day, a total of seven institutions submitted bonds with a total value of more than RMB 400 million, aiming to improve the efficiency of market liquidity management and consolidate Hong Kong's status as an offshore RMB center.

The China Finance Forty Forum (CF40) released the macro policy report for the third quarter of 2026. The report pointed out that with the release of about 700 billion yuan of policy financial instruments in the fourth quarter, the growth rate of broad fiscal expenditures is expected to improve, and the construction of computing power networks and underground pipeline networks will become a key direction to stimulate domestic demand.

Wanchen Group issued an announcement on November 2 saying that it received a "Notice of Filing" from the China Securities Regulatory Commission due to suspected failure to timely perform its temporary information disclosure obligations on related transactions. The company stated that the current operating order is stable and relevant matters have been rectified.

Beijing-based Empyrean Technology announced a 218.8 million yuan (US$33 million) deal to acquire a 50.38 per cent stake in Shenzhen-based chip design tool developer Easy-Logic Technology.