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Ant's botched IPO: How China shot itself in foot, lost a golden opportunity

The Shanghai Stock Exchange's surprise suspension of Ant Group's record-breaking initial public offering Tuesday night changed the landscape

Jack Ma
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While Jack Ma’s botched IPO is the big story, there are plenty of obscure examples that also matter to long-term investors.

Shuli Ren | Bloomberg
Nov. 3 was a sad, sad day for China. 
 
Not because America’s election changes anything about its hawkish stance toward Beijing — that’s bipartisan — but because China lost a golden investment opportunity by shooting itself in the foot. 

Looking purely at the numbers, China is in a sweet spot right now. Its bonds are attractive, as the yield differential with U.S. Treasuries hovers near a five-year high. Beijing’s virus-containment strategy is working, and the economy has bounced back. Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping’s latest five-year economic blueprint, which favors innovation and domestic consumption, is a win for tech companies — exactly