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It's now focused on finding industry leaders with high free cash flow. Hong Kong-based AlphaHill Capital is looking specifically for Chinese consumer names with free cash flow growth, said Siliang Jiang, the firm's partner and portfolio manager. Jiang expects the Chinese consumer will start to turn around in the second half of this year or next year. China's "Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) edged up in the past 9 months, despite falling property prices and fears of 'household balance sheet recession '. Two of their picks based on positive free cash flow are Li Auto and New Oriental Education .
Persons: Ding Wenjie, Ding, It's, Siliang Jiang, Jiang, Li, Liqian Ren, Ren, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Citi, China Asset Management Co, CNBC, Investors, China Merchants Securities, Baidu, Bank of America, Li Auto, New Oriental, Speed Railway, WisdomTree, Reuters Locations: China, India, Hong Kong, Tencent, Beijing, Shanghai, Shanghai . State
China stocks have staged such a strong rally after a protracted slump for the past few years that they're beating even the S & P 500 so far this year. The MSCI China index, which includes the mainland A-shares, Hong Kong-listed shares and U.S.-listed China names, has jumped around 9%, while the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF is up around 13%. Most analysts said whether the rally can be sustained will largely depend on China policy. How to play China Though most were bullish on China stocks, they would be selective in stock-picking. They include: SPDR S & P China ETF iShares MSCI China A ETF Global X MSCI China Consumer Disc ETF iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
Persons: Bernstein, it's, , Goldman Sachs, Kevin Liu, CICC, Nomura's, Goldman, Kweichow, Ping, Morningstar, Michael Bloom Organizations: U.S, CSI China, Investors, CICC Research, CNBC, BYD, SAIC, Changan Automobile, Energy, Anhui, Cement, JPMorgan, Kuaishou, Ping An Insurance, China Merchants Bank, Hong, China, iShares, China Consumer Locations: China, Hong Kong
The court said he had used his privileged access to information to make more than 290 million yuan ($41 million) in illegal gains from the stock market. He also leaked inside information about stocks to other people, which yielded more than 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) in illicit profits, it said. In return, he accepted bribes worth more than 210 million yuan ($30 million), it said. In 2013, Tian was promoted to head China Merchants Bank, serving as its president and its Communist Party boss. The Communist Party has stepped up its crackdown on the country’s state-owned financial system since last year.
Persons: Tian Huiyu, Xi Jinping, Tian, Wang Qishan, , Li Xiaopeng, Liu Liange, Bao Fan, Bao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Merchants Bank, China Construction Bank, China Cinda Asset Management, Beijing, Communist Party, Central Commission, Communist, Adobe, China Everbright Group, Bank of China, China Renaissance Locations: China, Hong Kong, Changde city, Hunan, China’s, Shanghai, Changde
REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOLOMBO, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will likely approve on Monday a proposal from Chinese state refiner Sinopec to build a $4.5-billion-dollar refinery, the South Asian island nation's energy minister said on Saturday. Sri Lanka, trying to recover from its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years, is hungry for new investment and local fuel supplies. The investment will add to Sinopec's recently started fuel retailing business, the third international company with a foothold in Sri Lanka, with a license to operates 150 petrol stations. Sinopec's fuel oil division, which runs the retail business there, began in 2019 supplying marine bunker fuel at Hambantota, another Sinopec official said. Sri Lanka's refinery at Sapugaskanda, commissioned in 1969, can process 38,000 barrels of oil a day.
Persons: Chris Helgren, Kanchana Wijesekera, Wijesekera, Vitol, Uditha Jayasinghe, Chen Aizhu, Krishn Kaushik, William Mallard Organizations: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, and Energy, Reuters, Sri, China Merchant Port Holdings, Initiative, China Merchants, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Sri Lanka, China's, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Colombo, Sinopec, Hambantota, Europe, Asia, Lanka's, Sapugaskanda
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The U.S. announced a $553- million project Wednesday to build a new, deep-water shipping container terminal in the Port of Colombo as it competes with China in international development financing. The U.S.-backed financing comes at a time when Sri Lanka is struggling to recover from a dire financial and economic crisis. Sri Lanka borrowed heavily from China to build the port and other infrastructure including an airport and a city being built on reclaimed land. Both neighboring India and China are jostling for influence in Sri Lanka and both have already invested in expanding facilities at the Colombo port. Colombo port also has a terminal run by China Merchants Port Holdings.
Persons: , Scott Nathan, Sri Lanka’s John Keells, Lanka’s, Wang Wenbin, William & Mary, AidData, China's, saysChina, Bradley Parks, , ” ___ Didi Tang Organizations: South, U.S . International Development Finance Corp, West, Local, Sri, Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, Initiative, Foreign Ministry, China Merchants Port Holdings, CHEC Port City Colombo Co, China Communications Construction Company, William & Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, U.S, Port, Colombo, China, Bay, Bengal, Beijing, Hambantota Port, Hambantota, India, oceanside, Port City, Virginia, “ Beijing, Washington
Traffic moves past the logo of the Adani Group installed at a roundabout on the ring road in Ahmedabad, India, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOLOMBO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it will provide $553 million financing for a Colombo port terminal project, partly owned by India's Adani Group, advancing the first foray by an Indian company into the sector. Ports-to-edible oils Adani group, controlled by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, holds a 51% stake in the west container terminal of the port, which also has a terminal run by China Merchants Port Holdings Co Ltd (0144.HK). India extended about $4 billion in swaps and credit lines to Sri Lanka last year, providing critical support to import fuel, medicine and fertiliser during the worst of the crisis. Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings owns 34% of the WCT and the rest is held by the state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
Persons: Amit Dave, Gautam Adani, Scott Nathan, Uditha Jayasinghe, Kim Coghill Organizations: Adani, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, India's Adani, China Merchants Port Holdings Co, HK, West, John Keells Holdings, WCT, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Colombo, Indian, Sri Lanka, China, Sri
After a three-year hiatus, international cruise lines can resume sailings from China. AdvertisementAdvertisementRoyal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, once the world's largest cruise ship, was originally scheduled for year-round sailing from China. Then COVID-19 shut down the cruise industry and China blocked sailings from international cruise lines. Now, after a three-year hiatus, international cruise lines can resume sailings from China. Enter the Adora Magic City, the first Chinese-built and operated cruise ship.
Persons: , Kun Cao, Reddal, James D, Morgan China, Cao, Joel Katz, Asia —, Michael Bayley, Bayley, Yang Guobing, Andy Stuart, Skift, it's Organizations: Service, Seas, Royal Caribbean, Magic City, Cruise, Royal Caribbean International, China China's, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, Carnival Corporation, Publishing, Getty Images, Viking Cruises, China Merchants Group, Royal, MSC, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, Xinhua, Getty, Cruise Line, Global Times Locations: China, Shanghai, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Southern, Magic, Caribbean, Asia, Australasia, CLIA, United States, Miami, Switzerland, Royal Caribbean, , Norwegian, Alaska
Here are the big questions about the move, which led to a slide in shares of Chinese EV makers on Thursday:WHY EXPORT TO EUROPE AND HOW MUCH HAS IT GROWN? That is mainly due to Beijing's decade-old industry promotion policy of incentives and subsidies that enabled China to become the world's biggest EV market and control the global EV supply chain, including raw materials. The single largest exporter is Tesla, accounting for 40% of China's EV exports between January and April, U.S. thinktank the Center for Strategic and International Studies says. Chinese state subsidies for electric and hybrid vehicles totalled $57 billion between 2016 and 2022, consultants AlixPartners have estimated. It paid out nearly $15 billion to encourage EV purchases through 2021, China Merchants Bank International has estimated.
Persons: Annegret, Bill Russo, EVs, BYD, AlixPartners, Brenda Goh, Ellen Zhang, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, EV, EU, Volkswagen, Renault, BMW, WHO, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Volvo, SAIC's, MG, HK, China Merchants Bank International, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, China, Shanghai, Europe, United States, CHINA, Netherlands, Denmark
"The primary culprit is the property sector. This source of growth has now evaporated and won't be coming back," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics in Singapore. The Sept. 4-11 Reuters poll of 76 analysts, based in and outside mainland China, predicted the economy would grow 5.0% this year, lower than 5.5% forecast in a July survey. While recent data showed signs of improvement in the economy, some economists said more policy support was needed for the ailing property sector. A strong majority of economists who answered an additional question said the risks to their 2023 and 2024 GDP growth forecasts were skewed to the downside.
Persons: Julian Evans, Pritchard, Bingnan Ye, Teeuwe Mevissen, Vivek Mishra, Devayani, Anant Chandak, Veronica Khongwir, Jing Wang, Kevin Yao, Ross Finley, Sam Holmes Organizations: Capital Economics, China Merchants Bank, People's Bank of, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, China, Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, People's Bank of China, Netherlands, Bengaluru, Shanghai
The swaps allow exporters to place their dollars with banks and get yuan instead, but through a contract that will eventually reverse the flows and give them back their dollars. However, while they remove a much-needed source of dollar supplies into spot yuan markets, analysts reckon Chinese monetary authorities can't really force exporters to convert dollars. When exporters swap higher-yielding dollars for the cheaper yuan for even 3 months, they get local currency for business needs and also earn a pick-up of an annualised 3.5% on the swap deal. "By trading FX swaps, exporters can postpone their settlements while meeting their yuan demand," said Becky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank. Exporters' swaps, meanwhile, give state banks a pile of dollars to use in their yuan operations, in which they can undertake swaps to acquire the dollars from the onshore forwards market and sell them in the spot market to stem fast yuan declines.
Persons: Dado Ruvic, Ding, Gary Ng, Becky Liu, Jindong Zhang, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Vidya Ranganathan, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal Reserve, Asia Pacific, Traders, Administration of Foreign Exchange, Standard Chartered Bank, China Merchants Bank, Thomson Locations: Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, U.S, Shanghai, China, Natixis, Singapore
Bain puts Chindata minority owners out of misery
  + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
MELBOURNE, Aug 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bain Capital has just taught a refresher course in the perils of being a minority investor. On Friday the buyout firm agreed to take Chindata private in a deal that values the Chinese data centre operator it already controls at $3.2 billion. But those who bought in when the U.S. private equity firm took Chindata public in 2020 or were hoping for a bidding war – or both – have good reason to be disappointed. Second, a unit of state-owned conglomerate China Merchants Group countered Bain with a $3.4 billion deal, which Chindata took a month to acknowledge. And it has let investors holding another fifth or so of Chindata stock into the buyout group.
Persons: Bain’s, Bain, Chindata, Antony Currie, BoE, Robyn Mak, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Bain Capital, China Merchants Group, China Merchants, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson Locations: New York
Aug 11 (Reuters) - Chindata Group said on Friday it would go private in a sweetened $3.16 billion deal with investor Bain Capital, ending months of uncertainty over the future of the Chinese data center operator that also received interest from China Merchants Group. It also marks a premium of about 43% to the closing price of Chindata shares before the initial approach was made public. U.S.-listed shares of Chindata, which operates data centers in China, India and Southeast Asia, rose 3% after the bell. Data centers operators have enjoyed a surge in demand in recent years as more businesses take to the web. The go-private deal announced on Friday will be funded through a combination of cash and debt financing provided by Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Chindata said.
Persons: Chindata, Manya Saini, Shinjini Organizations: Chindata, Bain Capital, China Merchants Group, Nasdaq, China Merchants Capital, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Chindata, China, India, Southeast Asia, Bengaluru
“Based on Japan’s experience in the 1990s, there is the risk that China is entering a liquidity trap due to the risks of balance-sheet recession,” said Natixis’s chief economist for Asia Pacific Alicia Garcia Herrero. Fan Gang, a prominent economist and former adviser to the central bank, told a forum in June that China faces a liquidity trap but not a Japan-style deflationary morass. Yet about 180 domestic A-share companies say in their stock filings that they have invested in CDs this year. China’s 220 million retail stock investors, equivalent to Brazil’s population and the biggest drivers of daily moves, have kept to the sidelines this year. “I wouldn’t pour money into the stock market any time before I see a clear rising trend,” he said.
Persons: Florence Lo, , Asia Pacific Alicia Garcia Herrero, , Byron Gill, , ” Gill, Betty Wang, Wu, ” Wu, John Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, Asia Pacific, Pacific Opportunities Fund, U.S, Bank, ANZ, Eastroc Beverage, China Merchants Bank, Bank of Ningbo’s Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Japan, China, Bank, Shanghai
Analysts see the same lack of confidence in today's Chinese households and companies that Japan grappled with in the 1990s. But in China's case there is a key difference; there is no deflationary threat yet, nor have banks switched off lending. Fan Gang, a prominent economist and former adviser to the central bank, told a forum in June that China faces a liquidity trap but not a Japan-style deflationary morass. China's policymakers have cut rates and encouraged banks to lend more in efforts to revive economic growth after the pandemic. China's 220 million retail stock investors, equivalent to Brazil's population and the biggest drivers of daily moves, have kept to the sidelines this year.
Persons: Florence Lo, Asia Pacific Alicia Garcia Herrero, Byron Gill, Gill, Betty Wang, Wu, John, Winni Zhou, Rae Wee, Vidya Ranganathan, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Companies, Asia Pacific, Pacific Opportunities Fund, U.S, Bank, ANZ, Eastroc Beverage, China Merchants Bank, Bank of Ningbo's, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, Japan, China, Bank, Shanghai, Singapore
Economic growth is likely to slow to 4.8% in the third quarter and 5.3% in the fourth, with full-year growth expected to reach 5.5%, the poll showed. China's central bank on Monday extended until the end of 2024 some policies which were unveiled in a November rescue package to shore up the real estate sector, including loan repayment extensions for developers. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the central bank to cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25 basis points in the third quarter, while keeping benchmark lending rates steady. The central bank cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves - in March. But the central bank is likely to be wary of cutting lending rates further.
Persons: it's, Zhang Yiping, Li Qiang, Devayani Sathyan, Susobhan Sarkar, Jing Wang, Kevin Yao, Kim Coghill Organizations: Beijing, Reuters, Gross, China Merchants Securities, stoke, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Bengaluru, Shanghai
Bain’s Chindata buyout saga verges on absurd
  + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
On first blush, that appears to be what Bain Capital (BCSF.N) is trying to do with Chinese data centre operator Chindata . But it’s a saga that’s starting to verge on the absurd. Bain took Chindata public on the Nasdaq in September 2020. Less than three years later, the U.S. leveraged buyout veteran offered $8 per American Depositary receipt, valuing the company at $2.9 billion. The company has yet to acknowledge the offer from China Merchants Capital.
Persons: Bain, Chindata, there’s, Bain’s, Robyn Mak, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Bain Capital, Nasdaq, U.S, Bloomberg, China Merchants Group, Chindata, Citi, Bain, China Merchants Capital, Thomson Locations: People’s Republic
HONG KONG, July 5 (Reuters) - Beijing Fourth Paradigm Technology, an AI startup, has completed procedural work for a Hong Kong initial public offering, becoming only one of a handful of companies to get the nod from China's securities regulator since new rules became effective this year. The company has successfully completed the offshore listing filing process,according a July 3 filing on the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) website. Fourth Paradigm and one other company got the CSRC greenlight on July 3, adding to two other firms this year. Fourth Paradigm, also known as 4Paradigm, filed its fourth IPO application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in April. Fourth Paradigm counts Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Sinovation, Haitong International Investment and a number of state-backed funds as investors, the CSRC filing showed.
Persons: Goldman Sachs, Kane Wu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Paradigm Technology, Hong, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Commerce Department, International Investment, China International Capital Corp, CCB International, China Merchants Securities, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong
SHANGHAI, June 28 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) is set to hit another record quarter with its China sales while it faces mounting pressure from local competitors such as BYD eating into its share in the world's largest auto market, analysts say. Deutsche Bank predicted Tesla's China sales to hit 153,000 units in the second quarter, while globally it could sell 448,000 units in total. Tesla will announce global sales numbers over the weekend, while China sales will be available from association data in the first week of July. It has outsold Tesla in Singapore in the first five months while its Atto 3 outsold Tesla's Model 3 in Australia in May. As its Shanghai plant achieves an annual production capacity of over 1 million units, Tesla is selling into new markets in the region including Thailand and Malaysia with China-made cars.
Persons: Shi Ji, Shi, Tesla, Yale Zhang, BYD, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, China Merchants Bank International Securities, Guangzhou Automobile Group, Deutsche Bank, Automotive Foresight, EV, HK, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shanghai, North America, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia
Four more Chinese developers get refinancing approval
  + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
HONG KONG, June 28 (Reuters) - Four more property developers listed in mainland China said they have received approval to refinance via share placements totalling 19.9 billion yuan ($2.8 billion), in a sign of the regulatory effort to improve liquidity in the embattled sector. Tuesday's announcements of fundraising approval came as investors expect Beijing to unveil more stimulus to revive the crisis-hit property market as part of its broader goal of shoring up the economy. State-owned China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone (001979.SZ) was the first to receive such approval on June 16. According to state media, for developers traded on the Shanghai bourse alone, 12 companies have announced plans to seek approval for equity refinancing totalling 40 billion yuan. ($1 = 7.2277 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Yan Yuejin, Clare Jim, Stephen Coates Organizations: China Merchants, Developments, Holdings, Greattown Holdings, Hubei Fuxing Science, Technology, D Institute, Shanghai bourse, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, Beijing, State, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hubei
Most economists expect another modest 10 bps LPR cut in the second half - on top of a 25 bps cut in banks' requirement ratio (RRR). The PROC last cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves -- in March, by 25 bps. Each 5 basis points LPR cut could reduce pre-tax profits of major banks by as much as 1.8%, China Merchants Securities said in a report. "A small rate cut is a useful painkiller for symptoms but cannot alleviate the real problem," said Gary Ng, Asia Pacific senior economist of Natixis. On Friday, China's cabinet discussed policy measures to support the economy.
Persons: COVID, NIM, Wang Yifeng, Wang, Gary Ng, China's, Zhang Ming, Zhang, Morgan Stanley, Kevin Yao, Ziyi Tang, Kripa Jayaram, Sumeet Chatterjee Organizations: People's Bank of China, Reuters, Everbright Securities, China Merchants Securities, Asia Pacific, stoke, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Beijing, Asia
Several Chinese lenders cut yuan deposit rates from Monday
  + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
BEIJING, June 12 (Reuters) - Several Chinese commercial banks cut interest rates on a range of yuan deposits from Monday, following their larger peers in a coordinated move to ease pressure on profit margins. The deposit rate cuts follow a similar move by China's biggest state lenders on Friday and marks the second such industry-wide cut within a year, with previous action taken in September. Analysts expect the deposit rate cuts will provide more room for a further cut soon by the central bank in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) to expand credit and boost investment spending. The lenders cut rates on two-year time deposits by 10 bps points, and three-year and five-year time deposits by 15 bps points. The rate cuts will help ease pressure on lenders' profit margins as savings held in banks had ballooned when the economy slowed during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Persons: Yi Gang, Ziyi Tang, Ryan Woo, Sonali Paul Organizations: China's, China Merchants Bank Co Ltd, China Citic Bank Corp, China Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd, People's Bank of, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Banks, China, People's Bank of China, Shanghai
Tesla and other electric car companies in China had cut prices earlier this year in a bid to attract buyers. The analysts cut their rating on Nio shares to hold, from buy. Looking ahead, Nio said that it aimed to deliver at least 20,000 cars a month in the second half of the year. watch nowNomura analysts said they expected the car company can improve its deliveries with new models, like the ES6 SUV and ET5 touring sedan. Nio's cash and cash equivalents fell below $1 billion at the end of 2019.
Persons: William Li, Hector Retamal, Nio, William Li's, Tesla, Li, Nomura, Mizuho Organizations: HK, Afp, Getty, China Merchants Bank International, Monday, Nomura, State Council, EV, Mizuho Securities Locations: Shanghai, BEIJING, China, EU
The research report, published in February 2022 when China was battling the pandemic, predicted that the domestic stock market would still seek bottom following a rebound, as the economy was under heavy downward pressure. Negative comments by analysts and commentators in China are often censored and have come under increased regulatory scrutiny. The warning comes as China's stock market is struggling to stand on its feet amid signs the post-COVID recovery is losing steam. Other analysts and commentators in China have been censored or come under scrutiny after negative comments in the past. Separately, China's securities watchdog last March launched a crackdown on brokerages using feng shui to predict stock market trends in their research notes, state media reported.
Persons: CSRC, Zhang Xia, Chen Gang, Geng Ruitan, Tu, Yi Huiman, Hong Hao Organizations: China Merchants Securities, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Bank of Communications International Holdings Co, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shenzhen
That would be the fastest growth since the first quarter of last year. The government has set a modest target for economic growth of around 5% for this year, after badly missing the 2022 goal. The government is due to release first quarter GDP data, along with March activity data, at 0200 GMT on April 18. On a quarterly basis, the economy is forecast to grow 2.2% in January-March, compared with no change in October-December, the poll showed. “We need to maintain the stability and continuity of macro policies to consolidate the economic recovery,” said Wen Bin, chief economist at China Minsheng Bank.
That would be the fastest growth since the first quarter of last year. For 2023, growth was expected to pick up to 5.4%, the poll showed, from 3.0% last year - one of its worst performances in nearly half a century due to strict COVID-19 curbs. The government has set a modest target for economic growth of around 5% for this year, after badly missing the 2022 goal. The government is due to release first quarter GDP data, along with March activity data, at 0200 GMT on April 18. Consumer inflation will likely quicken to 2.3% in 2023 from 2.0% in 2022, before steadying in 2024, the poll showed.
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