Consumer-driven firms forge ahead in H1

A-share listed companies with consumption-driven business were among the most profitable, while those suffering from overcapacity and shrinking market demands have been struggling with significant losses, according to analysis of the latest financial interim reports of the 2,500 A-share listed companies.

Some 60 percent of these companies which have released interim reports said their profits grew year-on-year, while some 950 companies, or 37 percent, said their profits declined in the first half of 2016, according to Shanghai-based Wind Information Technology Ltd, a financial information services provider.

Sinopec Group reported net profit of 19.3 billion yuan ($2.89 billion), which ranks the top among all the A-share companies.

Although the company has suffered from declining crude oil price, the company's income and profit were stable with help from its healthy refining business and profits from gasoline sales.

Liquor maker Kweichow Moutai Co, pork and poultry farming operator Guangzhou Wens Co Ltd and domestic appliances maker Gree Electric Appliances Inc are among the top 10 group with the most profits in the first half of 2016.

China COSCO Holdings Co, Asia's biggest container shipper, Yun Tian Hua Group Co Ltd, one of China's biggest fertilizer suppliers and ship builder Sainty Marine are among the top 10 companies with the most losses.

Analysts said that companies with core businesses meeting increasing demand, amid China's supply-side reforms and upgraded consumption, were more likely to grow in a sustainable way and keep profitable at a stable level.

"Companies showed diverging performances reflected in their interim reports and we can see that profits are highly related to market demand and companies' operating capabilities," said a research note from Shenwan Hongyuan Securities.