Moody's: Chinese corporate outlook stable

The outlook is stable for Chinese non-financial companies as the nation's GDP growth improves, Moody's Investors Service said on Wednesday.

The outlook reflects Moody's expectation that GDP growth of mid-7 percent in China in 2014 should support a stable supply-demand balance for many sectors and, subsequently, steady business growth.

Moody's also expects the Chinese government will maintain its neutral monetary policy, which means that onshore credit supply will be stable, and therefore the liquidity of rated companies will be adequate.

Additionally, the refinancing needs for cross-border bonds are manageable in 2014.

The outlooks for key sectors such as property, oil and gas, utilities and retail are stable. At the same time, the number of companies with negative rating outlooks, or on review for a downgrade, is small at 14 percent, but outnumbers positive-leaning outlooks.

Companies in cyclical and oversupplied sectors, such as mining and steel, remain under pressure.