Small price, big benefit

THE LATEST GOVERNMENT STATISTICS WERE not ambiguous about the economy's performance in the third quarter. The nation's GDP growth slowed to its lowest rate in more than five years.

So far in 2014, China has seen GDP grow, year-on-year, 7.4 percent in the first quarter, 7.5 percent in the second and 7.3 percent in the third. It will probably miss, albeit by a small margin, its annual growth target of 7.5 percent.

A slowdown in growth, of course, would not be good news for those seeking short-term returns, judging from all the signs in the market.