(Yicai Global) July 26 -- Chinese mainland stocks will be the leading asset class by return on investment in the current half of the year, according to the results of a new survey.

Seventy-eight percent of the 107 Chinese asset management experts polled by the Insurance Asset Management Association of China indicated that A-shares will be the most favorable onshore assets in the six months ending Dec. 31 based on ROI, according to the report published on July 21.

More than half of those surveyed, drawn from insurers, mutual funds, brokerages, and trusts, also said A-shares will climb amid volatile trading, while nearly a third expected mainland stock markets to fluctuate very much.

Fifty-five percent of the respondents picked the Hong Kong stock market as the offshore asset with the best ROI, followed by gold and commodities, which were identified by 36 percent and 35 percent of those polled. The US market slid to sixth place from third, with half of the participants saying US-traded stocks will drop because of volatile trading and 28 percent expecting them to fluctuate widely.

Two percent of those surveyed were "very optimistic" about overall macroeconomic trends in the second half; 50 percent were "relatively optimistic;” and 36 percent were "neutral."

Seventy-nine percent identified investment in infrastructure investment as the main factor that may boost the economy in the second half, followed by fiscal policy at 54 percent and real estate investment at 33 percent.

Many uncertainties remain for the global economy, according to the survey’s results. Sixty-four percent of the experts said pointed to the risk of higher inflation as the biggest uncertainty surrounding the allocation of asset classes.

Editors: Xu Wei, Futura Costaglione