(Yicai) Oct. 28 -- Shanghai’s benchmark stock index climbed back above 4,000 for the first time in a decade today on a mix of China-US trade deal hopes and pro-growth domestic policy signals, with analysts broadly expecting the rally to run through this year.

The Shanghai Composite Index [SHA: 000001] reached 4,010.73 in the morning trading session, the highest since August 2015, but retreated to close 0.2 percent down at 3,988.22. The gauge has pushed 19 percent higher since the end of last year.

The rally has been driven by two main factors, an analyst at Maxwealth Fund Management told Yicai. Firstly, the initial consensus reached in trade talks between China and the United States in Kuala Lumpur last weekend, which materially eased external uncertainties and lifted risk appetite, the person said.

Secondly, the recommendations for China’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, which were signed off last week and emphasize high-quality development, accelerated technological innovation, and green transition, priorities that chime with hot market themes like artificial intelligence, chips, and energy storage, the analyst said.

The Shenzhen Component Index [SHE: 399001] fell 0.4 percent to 13,430.10 after gaining as much as 0.6 percent in the morning, while the ChiNext Index [SHE: 399006] slid 0.2 percent to 3,229.58.

The market outlook for this quarter remains upbeat amid expectations of continued economic recovery and potential rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve, said Li Qian, an investment advisor at Huiyan Zhitou Technology. He added that sectors including state-owned enterprise reform plays, robotics, and semiconductors are likely to remain in focus.

Tech innovation and industrial upgrading have become key national strategies, which should keep related stocks performing strongly, Yu Fenghui, an advisor at the Top 100 Hong Kong Listed Companies Research Center, told Yicai. 

However, Yu cautioned that whether the rally lasts through year-end will depend on the strength of policy support, including the stance of monetary policy and potential fiscal stimulus. Sustained inflows of foreign capital would also provide solid backing to the market, Yu added.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine