China shares rise as healthcare firms gain on vaccination efforts

Shenzhou International group

08/04/2021 05:30

* SSEC +0.2%, CSI300 +0.2%, HSI +0.8%
    * Healthcare shares lead gains on vaccination efforts
    * Shares in Hainan-based companies jump on govt support

    SHANGHAI, April 8 (Reuters) - China stocks gained on
Thursday, as healthcare shares were boosted by a ramp-up of
vaccination efforts in the country amid the emergence of a new
cluster of infections.
    
** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index  .SSEC  was
up 0.19% at 3,486.19 points, while the blue-chip CSI300 index
 .CSI300  gained 0.15%.

** The healthcare sub-index  .CSI300HC  surged 1.45% and the
consumer staples sector  .CSI000912  was up 0.37%, while the
real estate index  .CSI000952  down 1.57%. 

** China reported 24 new COVID-19 cases on April 7, with 11 of
the new cases were local infections reported in the southwestern
Yunnan province.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2M1023

** The country had administered a total of 145.39 million
COVID-19 vaccine doses, as of Tuesday.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nB9N2LH013 
 
** Shares in Chinese real estate developers fell after Beijing
said it would push for property tax. Vanke  000002.SZ  and
Gemdale Corp  600383.SS  fell 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2M103V             
                
** The National Development and Reform Commission rolled out new
measures to relax market entries in the southern island of
Hainan, boosting shares of local firms such as Hainan Haide
Capital Management Co  000567.SZ .  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nB9N2L204T
        
** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong  .HSCE  rose 0.18% to
11,090.36, while the Hang Seng Index  .HIS  was up 0.83% at
28,913.50. 
 
** The smaller Shenzhen index  .SZSC  was up 0.22%, the start-up
board ChiNext Composite index  .CNT  gained 0.86%, while
Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index  .STAR50  was flat.
 
** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index
 .MIAPJ0000PUS  was firmer by 0.34%, while Japan's Nikkei index
 .N225  was down 0.29%.
 
** The yuan  CNY=CFXS  was quoted at 6.547 per U.S. dollar,
0.05% weaker than the previous close of 6.5435.  
       

 (Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
 ((zoey.zhang@thomsonreuters.com))