New bank loans in China jumped by more than expected to an all-time high in January, as the central bank moved to shore up the sputtering economy, reinforcing expectations for more stimulus in the coming months. Policymakers have pledged to roll out further measures to support the weaker-than-expected post-COVID recovery in the world's second-largest economy, amid a deep property crisis and prolonged stock market rout. Chinese lenders tend to front-load loans at the beginning of the year to get higher-quality customers and win market share. Banks extended 4.92 trillion yuan ($683.7 billion) in new yuan loans in ... (full story)