Shares of Evergrande Group ended higher Tuesday as they resumed trade days after the debt-laden Chinese property giant announced its billionaire founder was being investigated over unspecified crimes.
The company has become a symbol of China's ballooning property-sector crisis, which has seen several high-profile firms engulfed in a sea of debt, fuelling fears about the country's wider economy and a possible global spillover.
Evergrande's stock was suspended in Hong Kong last Thursday after a report that its chairperson and founder, Hui Ka Yan, had been placed under police surveillance. The world's most indebted developer later said in a statement that Hui was being investigated over "illegal crimes."
"There is currently no other inside information in relation to the company that needs to be disclosed," Evergrande said in a statement late on Monday.
When trading resumed Tuesday, its shares initially jumped over 60% before paring much of their gains to close up 28% at HK$0.41. In July 2020 the stock had traded at more than HK$25.
"Looks like the gains are driven by speculative money," Willer Chen, a senior research analyst at Forsyth Barr Asia Ltd, told Bloomberg.
"With this volatility, I really don't know if there's any chance for any proper investor to make money on this name."
"The extent to which the rally sticks and even moves out of penny stock territory will significantly depend on whether a government policy is put in the offing," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management added.
Evergrande estimated it had debts of $328 billion at the end of June.
And the company warned last month it was unable to issue new debt because its subsidiary, Hengda Real Estate Group, was being investigated. Key meetings planned for debt restructuring were shelved.
The firm said it was "necessary to reassess the terms" of the plan in order to suit the "objective situation and the demand of the creditors."
Its property arm missed a key bond payment last week, and Chinese financial website Caixin reported that former executives had been detained.
Given the changing status of the Evergrande crisis and the property market contributing to one-third of the country's economic activity, Innes said he could not "see China sitting back and watching the real estate market crumble."
"This extensive reliance on the property sector raises concerns about its potential impact on various related industries, ranging from construction materials like steel and cement to household appliances and other consumer goods," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"Any disruptions or downturns in the property market can have far-reaching consequences for these allied industries."
China's property sector has long been a pillar of growth – along with construction it accounts for about a quarter of gross domestic product (GDP) – and it experienced a dazzling boom in recent decades.
However, the massive debt accrued by its biggest players has been seen by Beijing as an unacceptable risk for China's financial system and overall economic health.
Authorities have gradually tightened developers' access to credit since 2020, and a wave of defaults has followed – notably that of Evergrande.
The long-running housing crisis has wreaked misery on the lives of homebuyers across the country, who have often staked life savings on properties that never materialized.
A wave of mortgage boycotts spread nationwide last summer, as cash-strapped developers struggled to raise enough to complete homes they had already sold in advance – a common practice in China.
Policymakers have come under intense pressure in recent months to unveil measures to support the economy, particularly the property sector.
But they are not keen on the type of bonanza unveiled in 2008 during the financial crisis, meaning the government could struggle to hit its growth target of around 5% for this year. That would represent one of its worst performances in decades, excluding during the pandemic.
