This week, China’s stock market slipped into a bear market, prompting the state-backed “national team” to pour about 170 billion yuan (US$25.52 billion) into exchange-traded funds (ETFs); Standard Chartered beat forecasts with a 46 per cent jump in third-quarter net profit; and the US Federal Reserve held rates steady, which also left Hong Kong’s base rate unchanged.

Meanwhile, an offshore yuan bond structure known as Yulan made its debut in Dubai, and residential rents in Hong Kong extended a record-breaking run. Here are some of the figures that have drawn the most market attention this week.

Goldman Sachs estimated that state-backed Chinese investors – the so-called national team – bought roughly 170 billion yuan of ETFs tracking key indices this month, while a more conservative estimate by Bank of America put purchases at more than 110 billion yuan.

The buying stepped up after the CSI 300 Index fell into a bear market and the Star Market 50 Index lost more than 40 per cent from its July peak, with some media outlets estimating that the sell-off erased about US$3.5 trillion in market value.

Analysts said the support was aimed at stabilising the market and warding off systemic risks rather than igniting a sustained rally, with hopes for a genuine recovery still resting on rebounds in domestic demand and corporate earnings.

The bank’s third-quarter net profit rose 46 per cent to US$1.5 billion, as strong growth in wealth management and cross-border lending buffered one of Hong Kong’s three note-issuing banks from provisions tied to property and geopolitical tensions.

Shares surged as much as 8.7 per cent on Wednesday after the results were released, before paring gains to close the day 7.6 per cent higher at HK$219.80.

The US Federal Reserve held its federal funds target range at 3.75 to 4 per cent on Wednesday, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) kept the city’s base rate at 4.25 per cent on Thursday, with major local lenders leaving their rates unchanged.

The HKMA warned of “considerable uncertainty” over the interest rate outlook, noting that the marked gap between rates in the US and Hong Kong could gradually weaken the Hong Kong dollar through carry trades, and urged the public to manage interest rate risk carefully in property, investment or borrowing decisions.

Bank of China Dubai rang the listing bell at Nasdaq Dubai for a two-year offshore bond issued under the Yulan structure, priced at 2 billion yuan.

The order book was more than five times oversubscribed, the deal tightened 50 basis points from initial price guidance, and sovereign accounts took more than 30 per cent of the allocation, providing fresh evidence – against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East – that global appetite for yuan assets remains firm.

Data from the Rating and Valuation Department showed the private home price index rose 0.19 per cent month-on-month to 320.8 in September, for a cumulative gain of 7.08 per cent in the first nine months of the year, while the rental index climbed for an 11th consecutive month to another record high. Primary market sales exceeded 1,700 units in October, a five-month high.

Analysts said they expected rents would remain on an upwards trajectory, underpinned by talent inflows, but saw limited room for further price gains after this year’s rebound.