Hong Kong stocks end week higher as virus deaths fall

China Tower

14/02/2020 08:51

* Hang Seng, H-shares both add 0.3%
    * Deaths in epidemic's epicentre moderate after record jump
    * Track the coronavirus here: https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7

    HONG KONG, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks edged up on
Friday, as the daily death and infection tolls in the epicentre
of the coronavirus outbreak returned to lower levels, following
a dramatic spike the previous day.

** At the close of trade, the Hang Seng index  .HSI  was up 0.3%
at 27,815.60, up 1.5% week-on-week. The index also rose last
week. The Hang Seng China Enterprises index  .HSCE  rose 0.3%.
 
** The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking energy shares
 .HSCIE  rose 0.1%, the IT sector  .HSCIIT  dipped 0.8%, the
financial sector  .HSNF  ended 0.5% higher and the property
sector  .HSNP  gained 1%.
 
** The top gainer on the Hang Seng was Techtronic Industries Co
Ltd  0669.HK , which gained 2.5%, while the biggest loser was
AAC Technologies Holdings Inc  2018.HK , which fell 2.6%.
 
** The daily death toll in Hubei, the Chinese province at the
centre of the coronavirus outbreak, halved and the number of new
cases dropped from a record posted the day before.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2AE088
    
** But with the number of new cases at over 5,000 on Friday, the
epidemic showed no signs of peaking. Passengers on a cruise ship
blocked from five countries due to virus fears finally
disembarked in Cambodia.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2AE0RT

** The Chinese economy will grow at its slowest rate since the
financial crisis in the current quarter, according to a Reuters
poll of economists who said the downturn will be short-lived if
the outbreak is contained.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2AB2IE    
    
** China's main Shanghai Composite index  .SSEC  and the
blue-chip CSI300 index  .CSI300  marked the first weekly gain in
four as new infections slowed in Hubei province.  .SS .
 
** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index
 .MIAPJ0000PUS  was firmer by 0.2%, while Japan's Nikkei index
 .N225  closed down 0.6%.
 
** About 1.45 billion Hang Seng index shares were traded. The
volume traded in the previous trading session was 1.62 billion.
 
** At close, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of
23.73% over Hong Kong-listed H-shares.  .HSCAHPI 
 

 (Reporting by Luoyan Liu and Noah Sin; Editing by Jacqueline
Wong)
 ((luoyan.liu@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:
luoyan.liu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))