Natixis' latest China Corporate Monitor report shows that Chinese corporate profit margins remained stable at around 4.5% in the first half of 2026, but are still far below the nearly 9% seen among global peers. Return on capital was approximately 6% during the same period, compared to a global average of over 11%. The report notes that despite Chinese companies generally performing weaker than pre-pandemic levels, China is becoming a key beneficiary of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom thanks to its ample electricity capacity.