China’s $21 Trillion Bond Market Slammed as Data Screens Go Blank

(Bloomberg) — An abrupt suspension of widely used bond price feeds in China blindsided investors and sent volumes in some corners of the market tumbling, reviving concerns about sudden regulatory shifts in a country that makes up a growing portion of global fixed-income portfolios.

Information providers that previously supplied aggregated bond quotes showed blank screens Wednesday, prompting desperate traders to turn to chatrooms available on Tencent’s QQ and WeChat to share prices and do deals.