After a rough 2023, JD.com (JD 6.12%) investors were likely looking forward to turning the calendar, but a new year didn't give a new start to the stock. Shares of the Chinese e-commerce company fell sharply on the first trading day of 2024 as comments from President Xi Jinping and weak economic data combined to sink China stocks on Tuesday.
JD shares finished the session down 5.9%. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index, which holds a basket of mostly Chinese tech stocks, was down 3.5%, showing it was a wipeout across the sector.
Image source: Getty Images.
Even President Xi is bearish on China
The main reason for today's sell-off in JD and China stocks more broadly seems to be due to comments in Xi's New Year speech, and a disappointing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) report, which showed that factory activity in China fell to its lowest level in six months. The PMI reading was 49, which indicates a slight contraction in factory activity from November to December, slowing China's hoped-for economic recovery.
Xi addressed the headwinds in his end-of-year speech, saying, "Some enterprises had a tough time. Some people had difficulty finding jobs and meeting basic needs. He tried to sound more optimistic about the future, adding, "We will consolidate and strengthen the momentum of economic recovery."
What it means for JD.com
It's not surprising to see JD shares selling off on the news; the company is China's largest direct online retailer, so its success is subject to the overall health of the Chinese economy. It also has less exposure to international markets than peers like Alibaba and Pinduoduo-parent PDD Holdings.
JD's recent results have also been disappointing, as revenue rose just 1.7% in its third quarter, which is significantly below its pre-pandemic growth rate. Founder Richard Liu has also called on the company to be more competitive with peers like Pinduoduo that are growing rapidly.
With China's economy continuing to struggle, there's no easy path to a turnaround. The e-commerce company may need to become more aggressive and price-competitive with Pinduoduo in order to deliver growth in the current weak economic environment.
