China stock exchanges step up crackdown on short-selling

04-Aug (Reuters) — China stepped up a crackdown on short-selling of shares on Tuesday, unveiling rules that make it harder for speculators to profit from hourly price changes, as some of the nation’s major brokerages suspended their short-selling businesses.

China’s stock exchanges and market watchdogs are cracking down on short-selling as part of a government-run effort to prevent a collapse in the country’s markets, which have lost almost 30 percent of their value since peaking in June.

The sell-off, which followed a dizzying rally, has shattered investor confidence in Chinese stocks and shaken the faith of some foreign investors in the ability of the ruling Communist Party to maintain stability of the financial system.

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