[ET Net News Agency, 16 November 2018] Nomura expects China's property market
conditions to worsen significantly in 1H 2019 before getting better, and it will likely
take Beijing longer than usual to come to the rescue.
The entrenched nature of certain non-market-based property policies - such as
restrictions on home purchases, sales and prices - are key hurdles to making timely policy
adjustments; but, since the property sector plays such a crucial role in China's growth,
the research house believes Beijing will eventually ease many of the tightening measures
in large cities during or after spring 2019.
Nomura thinks it is only after this that growth can rebound, and thus its views on the
property sector are quite crucial to accurately timing the bottom of the ongoing growth
slowdown.
It expects new home sales to contract by more than 10% and property investment growth
could plummet during some months in 2019.
Nomura believes an easing of restrictions will not necessarily increase home prices and
lead to another property bubble. (KL)