Investors eye a good year

Equity hounds sniff profit opportunities as economic restructuring, earnings and growth prospects, tamed credit risks and an evolving capital market raise expectations for 2018

Until mid November, the Chinese stock market has been rising steadily this year. But the roughly 4 percent retreat in less than a month since then, dubbed a "correction" by market mavens, rattled some investors nevertheless. Their main worry: Is the equity market in the world's second-largest economy running out of steam?

At least some sections of the market believe such concerns are not completely unfounded. Investors tended to book profits this month in certain large-cap stocks that appeared to be expensive, having surged of late.