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3 Ways to Play China's Economic Explosion

May 11, 2009

By Jamie Dlugosch, Contributing Editor, InvestorPlace

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Jamie Dlugosch

Jamie Dlugosch

Jamie is the editor of Penny Stock Winners. He has over 20 years of experience in financial markets including investment banking, equity analysis and research and money management. In addition to being the Editor of Penny Stock Winners, he is also a Contributing Editor of InvestorPlace.com and founder and editor of The Rational Investor.

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If you think the rally in the U.S. is impressive, check out China. Stocks there are moving higher on the heels of a massive stimulus plan that, unlike the U.S., is directed at production instead of the funny money on Wall Street.

One might wonder why China took such drastic measures. After all, its economy is still showing impressive growth well above what we can ever expect to see in this country. It may not be the huge double-digit growth, but growth is growth.

What do we have here? Not much. The economy is currently shrinking, and though growth is expected to return, such growth is likely to be anemic.

For those investors willing to profit from foreign economic growth, China is clearly the place to be. Stocks there dropped hard as the U.S.-led recession spread across the globe. What had been an amazing run over the last few years came crashing down. Although they were down significantly in 2008, China stocks are roaring back to life so far this year.

InvestorPlace's Robert Hsu has three interesting ways investors can profit from China's unprecedented boom in economic activity.

China Profit Play #1: E-House (EJ)

E-House (EJ) is the largest real estate services company in China and will be a huge beneficiary of the massive stimulus program there. According to Hsu, the Chinese government provided $730 billion in loans during the first quarter of 2009 with much of that money flowing into the real estate market. No wonder then that E-House shares are up some 143% since November 20, 2008.

After trading above $30 per share in late 2007, E-House shares collapsed with expectations of a major correction in the Chinese economy. In reality, the economy in China never did reach the level of contraction — meaning the $4 low in the stock was way overdone. Now with shares just above $12, the stock is poised to double in value or more.

On a recent trip to China, Hsu noted 4 keys to future success at E-House. The single-most important ingredient is stability in the U.S. A key destination for much of China's output, strength in the U.S. will bode well for the entire Chinese economy. That strength will translate into impressive business for E-House.

NEXT: China Profit Play #2…