Analysis-China's e-commerce companies are getting singed by a price war

By Casey Hall

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -The bitter battle among China’s major online companies to win the “instant retail” war is expected to further depress their short- to medium-term profits and contribute to deflationary pressures in the world’s second-largest economy.

The likes of Alibaba, Meituan and JD.com have been flooding consumers with discounts and coupons to gain market share in the booming one-hour delivery segment, burning their cash in the process, eating into margins, and raising questions from investors on strategy.

They have also drawn increased scrutiny from regulators who are worried about a downward price spiral in China, where weak property prices and poor job stability have contributed to persistent consumer malaise, pressuring companies into aggressive pricing and sub