Hong Kong stocks close higher ahead of Lunar New Year holiday

ASMPT

11/02/2021 04:09

* Hang Seng index ends up 0.45%
    * China Enterprises index HSCE rises 0.59% 
    * HSI property sector up 0.6%

    Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks ended a half-day trading
session on Thursday at their highest level since June 2018, as
investors squared their positions ahead of the Lunar New Year
holidays.
    ** The Hang Seng index  .HSI  gained 0.45% at 30,173.57
while the China Enterprises Index  .HSCE  climbed 0.59% to
11,880.49 points.   
    ** Analysts said a phone call between leaders of the United
States and China aided sentiment, while some investors were on
the sidelines awaiting developments.
    ** U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to his Chinese counterpart
Xi Jinping on Wednesday, his first direct contact with the
leader of the world's second-largest economy since winning the
November presidential election and taking office last month.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2KH04K
    ** The Hang Seng Tech Index  .HSTECH  surged 1.92% and the
Hang Seng sub-index tracking information technology firms
 .HSCIIT  rose 0.95%.
    ** The Hong Kong Hang Seng sub-index tracking property firms
 .HSNP  gained 0.62% and the Hang Seng Finance Index  .HSNF 
climbed 0.40%.
    ** For the holiday-shortened week, Hang Seng Index climbed
3.02%, the HSCE added 2.76% and the Hang Seng Tech index rose
6.29%.
    ** The Hong Kong market will be closed from Friday through
Feb. 15 and resume trading on Feb. 16.
    ** The top gainer on the Hang Seng Index was Meituan
 3690.HK , which was up 3.39%, while the biggest percentage
loser was Mengniu Dairy  2319.HK , which fell 1.61%.
    ** The biggest gainer on Hang Seng Tech Index was Ping An
Healthcare  1833.HK , which soared 21.1%, while the top
percentage loser was ASM Pacific  0522.HK , down 0.99%

    
    

 (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
 ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com; +852 3952 5874; Reuters
Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net))