(Yicai) July 12 -- More than 200 foreign financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase, have been conducting research on companies listed in mainland China, such as auto manufacturer BYD and battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, since June with a particular focus on their overseas expansion strategies, Shanghai Securities News reported.

US hedge fund Point72 Asset Management conducted the most research, investigating 20 companies including Fujian Huichuan IoT Technology and China Resources Pharmaceutical Group, data showed. Neuberger Berman, Fullerton Fund Management and Goldman Sachs have each researched more than 10 companies.

Their research, which spans industries such as electronics, healthcare and new energy, has a particular focus on overseas operations, profit expectations and dividends. It is aimed at getting a better understanding of the companies’ operational status and preparing their investment strategies in the second half.

"Foreign investors are actively conducting research on China's electronics, machinery, new energy, and other industries,” said Pan Helin, a member of the expert committee for information and communication economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. “They are paying attention to how these businesses are going global, which indicates that these sectors have potential for overseas growth and present investment opportunities."

The extra scrutiny comes as many Chinese companies announce plans to shift manufacturing and other operations abroad. IoT Technology plans to introduce its elevators, injection molding machines, air conditioning and refrigeration, and air compressors to more overseas markets, it said recently.

Keboda Technology said it is localizing manufacturing of its its automotive electronic components abroad in response to supply chain security and other requirements. The Shanghai-based firm set up a factory in Japan last year and is now planning to build plants in Europe and North America.

And CATL claims it now holds 35 percent of the battery market in Europe and is continuing to grow. The construction of the first phase of its factory in Hungary is progressing smoothly.

Editor: Kim Taylor