2 1 Shi Ji Jing Ji Bao Dao·2025-08-18 11:17Market Overview - On August 18, the A-share market reached a historic milestone, with the Shanghai Composite Index opening high and breaking the previous high of 3731.69 points from February 2021, peaking at 3745.94 points, marking the highest level since August 2015. The index closed at 3728.03 points, up 0.85% [1] - The A-share market set multiple records, including the North Star 50 Index rising over 4% to a historical high, and the total trading volume for the day reaching 2.76 trillion yuan, an increase of 519.6 billion yuan from the previous trading day, marking a new high for the year. Additionally, the total market capitalization of A-share companies surpassed 100 trillion yuan for the first time in history [1] Stock Performance - Among the 358 stocks that have doubled in value this year, significant contributions came from the machinery and pharmaceutical sectors, each with over 50 doubling stocks. The automotive sector followed with 29 doubling stocks, while several other sectors, including computer, defense, and light manufacturing, also had more than 10 doubling stocks [3] - The top-performing stock, Upwind New Materials (603556.SH), saw a staggering increase of 1368.35%, becoming the only "tenfold stock" this year, driven by its association with robotics concepts. Other notable stocks with over 400% gains include Shuyou Shen (300204.SZ), Great Wall Military Industry (601606.SH), and Shenghong Technology (300476.SZ), reflecting strong market interest in the biopharmaceutical, defense, and electronics sectors [3][5] Economic Insights - The current market rally, which began at the start of the year, is attributed to China's recent push for technological innovation, with advancements in areas such as AI, innovative pharmaceuticals, and digital transformation enhancing the attractiveness of Chinese assets to global investors, thereby driving the prosperity of the Chinese stock market [3] - Economic experts noted that the capital market is continuing its recovery trend under policy support, with supply-side improvements, including the rectification of "involutionary" competition and capacity management, contributing to a rebound in nominal GDP and improved profit expectations for companies [3]