China regulator urges Beijing banks not to force liquidation of pledged shares: Yicai

Reuters

Published Oct 27, 2018 12:41AM ET

China regulator urges Beijing banks not to force liquidation of pledged shares: Yicai

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's banking and insurance regulator has urged lenders in Beijing to avoid forced liquidation of pledged shares, as part of efforts to help stabilize the country's stock market, Chinese financial magazine Yicai reported, citing sources.

The Beijing branch of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said unrealized losses or lending risks associated with shares that banks hold as collateral against loans will not be part of regulatory inspections, according to Yicai.

CBIRC has also encouraged banks to further increase lending to listed companies facing temporary difficulties, Yicai reported.

CBIRC could not immediately be reached outside normal business hours.

In the past week, China has unveiled a series of measures to ease liquidity pressure at small and medium-sized enterprises struggling in a slowing economy clouded by the broadening Sino-U.S. trade war.

Underscoring the liquidity stress, about $620 billion of Chinese shares have been pledged for loans, putting companies under pressure as stock markets tumble and the prospect of forced liquidation rises.