Investment banks are cutting their growth forecasts for China, believing Beijing risks undershooting its official target of about 5 per cent as confidence wanes in the world’s second-largest economy.

Bank of America on Wednesday lowered its forecast to 4.8 per cent from 5 per cent and Canadian investment bank TD Securities cut to 4.7 per cent from 5.1 per cent. The moves followed a UBS cut last week and a series of similar reductions over the summer.

Economists at Citi this week warned that Beijing’s official growth target — which is the lowest in decades at “around 5 per cent” — “could be at risk”, adding to mounting concerns over the trajectory of China’s economy as policymakers grapple with a prolonged property sector slowdown and weak consumer and investor confidence.