BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Another two closed-end
stock funds have won regulatory approval, the China Securities Regulatory
Commission (CSRC) said on Friday.
This followed an earlier approval of two such funds,
which ended a five-month freeze on new funds, again in apparent efforts to boost
the falling domestic equity market.
Bank of China Investment Management Co., Ltd. and AXA
SPDB Investment Managers will launch the funds, according to the CSRC.
The two funds would be launched at ceilings of 12
billion yuan (1.67 billion U.S. dollars) and seven billion yuan, respectively,
said sources close to the issue without verification from parties concerned.
Bank of Communications Schroder Fund Management Co.,
Ltd. confirmed on Friday that a bond fund under its management had also obtained
regulatory approval. The fund would be able to subscribe to new offerings,
according to the company.
The previously approved two stock funds, run by CCB
Principal Asset Management Co. and China Southern Fund Management Co., would
together raise about 14 billion yuan.
The launch of these funds is expected to bring a new
round of fresh capital into the sliding stock market.
Chinese shares fell 1.21 percent on Friday with the
Shanghai Composite benchmark Index losing 55.19 points to 4497.13 despite as
mall recovery registered a day earlier.
The domestic stock market has seen volatile trading
in recent weeks over worldwide concerns of a possible U.S. recession as well as
the country's ongoing freakish winter weather that had already caused huge
losses of up to 111.1 billion yuan.
China's securities watchdog had suspended the launch
of new funds late last year in reaction to the surging domestic stock market.
The Shanghai Composite Index nearly doubled last year.