China housing prices cool, but issues remain

China’s home prices rose at a slower pace in November as government lending curbs took out some heat in major cities, but a supply shortage in some places and sizable inventories elsewhere underscored challenges policymakers face trying to stabilize a polarized market. Analysts say government tightening measures in recent months appeared to have dented speculative demand, a particularly welcome sign given underlying worries the overheated property market could crash and knock the economy hard. New home prices increased 0.6% month-on-month in China’s 70 major cities, slowing from October’s 1.1%, according to Reuters calculations from data issued by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. Regulators have told banks to strengthen risk management around property loans. More restrictions on home purchases have been implemented to curb soaring prices.