Thoughts on China and US Consumer Data for H2 Positioning

Watching the recent moves in $FXI, currently up slightly at 35.86, it's hard not to connect it to the ongoing narrative around China's economic stability and potential stimulus. While the day's range of 35.82–36.125 isn't wildly exciting, it feels like there's an undercurrent building. The question for me is whether this is a genuine bottoming or just a relief rally amidst a broader, more complex picture. Any sustained move higher will likely depend on more than just rhetoric from Beijing.

On the other side of the world, I'm waiting on more definitive signs from US consumer spending data before making any big calls on broader market exposure. With inflation still a sticky issue and rates likely to remain higher for longer, the consumer's resilience will be key. My watchlist is leaning towards names with strong balance sheets and less reliance on discretionary spending for now, until we get clearer signals on both fronts.