Significant Recovery in Consumer Spending During Lunar New Year
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 26 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Market Recovery: During the Lunar New Year holiday, China's consumer market showed signs of recovery with steady increases in hotel bookings and duty-free shopping, highlighted by a record of over 18.7 million rail passengers in a single day, indicating the effectiveness of policy support measures.
- Tourism Spending Growth: While daily tourism trips grew by an average of 5.7%, spending only increased by 5.5%, down from 7% in 2025, reflecting consumers' continued budget sensitivity and persistent deflationary pressures.
- Extended Holiday Boosts Consumption: To stimulate spending, China extended the official holiday by one day, encouraging families to travel together, which drove demand for larger rooms and family-friendly configurations, thereby enhancing hotel occupancy rates.
- Policy Support Measures: Local governments issued over 2.05 billion yuan in consumption vouchers and subsidies ahead of the holiday, effectively supporting demand, although the focus appears to be on preventing consumption growth from slipping below a certain level rather than implementing sweeping stimulus.
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Analyst Views on MS
Wall Street analysts forecast MS stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 158.390
Low
132.00
Averages
185.00
High
219.00
Current: 158.390
Low
132.00
Averages
185.00
High
219.00
About MS
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services company. The Company is engaged in providing a range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. Its segments include Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management. Its Institutional Securities segment provides a variety of products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions and ultra-high net worth clients. Its Wealth Management segment provides an array of financial services and solutions to individual investors and small to medium-sized businesses and institutions. Its Investment Management segment provides a range of investment strategies and products that span geographies, asset classes, and public and private markets to a diverse group of clients across institutional and intermediary channels. Its investment banking services consist of capital raising and financial advisory services, including the underwriting of debt and other products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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