Global Passive Funds Put Added Strain on China’s Stock Rout

  • Morgan Stanley says passive funds sold shares in January
  • Broker sees short bets building in technology, growth stocks
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Global passive funds are putting added strain on the world’s worst-performing stock market as they join actively-managed peers in the January selloff of Chinese and Hong Kong equities.

Managers of benchmark-tracking funds have sold a net $300 million of shares traded in mainland China and Hong Kong this month, according to a Morgan Stanley analysis. That’s a reversal from the last half of 2023 when they bought $700 million on a net basis even as stock indexes declined.