中国“兔年”影响世界：风水师预测股票市场

STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with Asian markets sliding.

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INSKEEP: Asian stocks were down and oil prices have been up on concerns about the political uncertainty in Egypt. At least we assume that's why the markets are moving.

Nobody really knows why thousands or even millions of investors buy one stock or sell another. And it turns out that some Asian investors have other issues on their minds.

This week marks the Chinese New Year and its the Year of the Golden Rabbit.

NPR's Louisa Lim reports on a brokerage(中介) in Hong Kong that issues market forecasts based on Chinese astrology（占星术）.

LOUISA LIM: The Year of the Rabbit promises to be a hoppy new year. That's according to Hong Kong brokerage CLSA（里昂证劵）. Its annual forecast, based on the traditional Chinese beliefs of feng shui, warns of volatility ahead for Hong Kong markets.

Here’s CLSA’s feng shui economist, Philip Chow.

Mr. PHILIP CHOW (Economist, CLSA): Last year we were forecasting a tiger leap i.e. in the second half, the markets sort of shoot up, which is exactly what played out all the way until November. But the rabbit doesn’t sort of leap, the rabbit hops. Every time it hops a bit up, it turns around and then it sort of shoots up its ears and tries to see whether it’s safe to go on, and then it hops up again. Even on the way up, the stock markets going to be in a zigzag format, even though it’s sort of still northward bound(看涨的).

LIM: As for investment advice based on the Chinese elements, CLSA concludes metal is hot, water is bubbling, fire is on fire.

Mr. CHOW: That would account for financials, and also some of the raw materials sectors, such as metallic mining and steel. The other sector that’s water related would naturally involve something traveling: lodging stocks, gaming stocks, and also on the transport side, the airlines and shipping all fall into that category.

LIM: Be warned: the forecast is tongue-in-cheek(开玩笑的，不认真的). But feng shui investors should bear one thing in mind: last year CLSA’s feng shui forecast was correct for nine out of the 12 months.

Louisa Lim, NPR News, Beijing.