Why Chinese Education Stocks Soared on Friday

News that the Chinese government is getting ready to wrap up its years-long crackdown on the country's tech stocks, and shift toward supporting the sector instead, sparked a rally in Chinese equities Friday morning. As of 10:50 a.m. ET, shares of Gaotu Techedu (NYSE: GOTU) are up 9.9%, New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU) is gaining 10.9%, and TAL Education Group (NYSE: TAL) is leading the sector higher with an 11.2% gain. China's economy grew only 4.8% in the first quarter of 2022, slower than the government's targeted 5.5% growth rate for this year -- and according to the International Monetary Fund, rather than improving, the economy looks likely to slow further as the year wears on.