A-shares storage chip surges, Maxio Technology hits all-time high, Hong Kong tech stocks explode

On March 16, the A-share market experienced volatility and adjustment. The Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Component Index fluctuated and declined in the morning session, both dropping over 1% during the session. By the close, the Shanghai Index fell 0.71%, the Shenzhen Index declined 0.7%, the ChiNext Index rose 0.18%, and the STAR Market Composite Index dropped 0.98%.

In terms of sectors, cross-border payments continued to rise. Storage chip concepts performed actively, with Beiwei Storage up over 8%, hitting a new all-time high, and Langke Technology (300042) hitting the 20% daily limit. Beijing Junzheng (300223), Hengshuo Co., Zhiyi Innovation (603986), and Dawei Co. (002213) also gained.

The computing power leasing concept was lively, with 26.com (002467) hitting the daily limit after a rebound. The chemical sector surged then retreated, with Jizhengda (002470) falling back after hitting the limit, Chitianhua (600227) repeatedly opening and closing, and Luxi Chemical (000830) hitting the limit down.

Deep-sea technology concepts defied the trend and strengthened, with Dongfang Marine (002086), Shenkai Co. (002278), and Marine King (002724) hitting the daily limit. The PCB concept continued to rise, with Jinan Guoji (002636) hitting the limit, and Zhongying Technology (300936) and Ruifeng High-tech (300243) both rising over 10%.

On March 16, the liquor sector bucked the trend and showed strong performance, becoming a market focus. As of the report, the liquor sector index increased by over 2%. Leading stocks included Huangtai Liquor (000995), which hit the daily limit first; Jinhui Liquor (603919) and Jiugui Liquor (000799), up 5.56% and 3.21% respectively; and the trillion-dollar giant Kweichow Moutai (600519), which rose over 2%, regaining a market value above 1.8 trillion yuan. Shares like Shede Liquor (600702) and Jinzhi Liquor (600199) also followed suit.

CICC pointed out that after years of adjustment, the liquor industry entered a period of supply-demand and price stabilization by 2026. Currently, stock prices have fallen back to pre-Lunar New Year pessimistic expectations, indicating a bottoming out and potential value for allocation. As the first-quarter earnings expectations become clearer, emotional suppression factors may be alleviated, and consumer sectors could present investment opportunities.

The fertilizer sector rose against the trend, with Chitianhua, Luzhou Tianhua (000912), Liuguo Chemical (600470), and Jinzhi Liquor hitting the daily limit. Huarong Chemical (002274), Orchid Science and Technology (600123), and Chuanjin Nuo (300505) also gained. On the news front, tensions in the Middle East remain high, with the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 33% of global fertilizer trade flow, experiencing disruptions.

Fangzheng Securities’ latest research report indicated that the Middle East plays a crucial role in international urea supply. The escalation of US-Iran tensions is likely to reduce this capacity, pushing up international urea prices.

On the downside, sectors such as precious metals, fertilizers, pesticides, and steel saw significant declines. The non-ferrous metals sector weakened collectively, with stocks like Shanjin International (000975) and Huaxi Nonferrous (600301) falling sharply.

In Hong Kong stocks, the Hang Seng Index and Hang Seng Tech Index strengthened, rising 1.14% and 2.24%, respectively.

Hong Kong tech stocks performed well, with Huahong Semiconductor up over 6%, BYD (002594) nearly 6%, Xiaomi, JD Health, and others rising close to 5%, along with Tencent Music and Meituan gaining.

Zhipu surged over 10%. On March 16, Zhipu announced the launch of the base model GLM-5-Turbo for OpenClaw lobster scenarios, marking Zhipu’s first closed-source model since 2025. The company also increased the API price for the new model by 20%, marking the second price increase recently. Rough estimates suggest that Zhipu’s API prices have risen 83% in the first quarter of 2026. (21st Century Business Herald)