Chinese Stocks Dip Following Mega Military Parade

In a notable downturn, Chinese stocks faced their largest drop in a week on Wednesday, prompted by profit-taking in defense-related shares following a grand military parade. The Shanghai Composite index, by midday, had tumbled 1% to 3,820.98 points, marking its most significant single-day decline since late August.

The defense sector led the losses, with military-related shares declining significantly after President Xi Jinping's parade, which showcased the latest military equipment. Despite a private-sector survey indicating rapid growth in China's services sector, markets remained largely unfazed, with several indexes charting downward trends.

As investor sentiment grows increasingly split amidst a two-month uptrend, analysts predict rising market volatility, prompting reassessment of current macroeconomic conditions. Meanwhile, despite these declines, the materials sector sub-index saw gains led by gold miners as gold prices reached new heights.

(With inputs from agencies.)