Hong Kong stocks advance on China stimulus bets and Fed interest rate cut



Hong Kong stocks rose on Thursday as investors bet on fresh stimulus ahead of the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC), while sentiment was supported by the Federal Reserve’s rate cut and chair Jerome Powell’s optimism that the US economy will strengthen as the inflationary impact of tariffs fades.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.6 per cent to 25,689.86 at 10am local time. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.3 per cent. In mainland China, the CSI 300 Index dropped 0.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.2 per cent.

Toymaker Pop Mart International jumped 2.6 per cent to HK$195.40 after announcing the appointment of Andrew Wu, group president of LVMH China, as its new non-executive director. Lender HSBC Holdings surged 2.6 per cent to HK$114.60, while WeChat operator Tencent Holdings added 0.7 per cent to HK$607 and e-commerce firm Alibaba Group Holding climbed 0.9 per cent to HK$154.50.

Limiting gains, search-engine giant Baidu fell 0.4 per cent to HK$123.10, while electric-vehicle maker Li Auto declined 0.4 per cent to HK$66.45.

Overnight in the US, Nasdaq added 0.3 per cent and the S&P 500 rose 0.7 per cent. The Fed’s quarter-point cut, together with its plan to resume Treasury bill purchases to replenish bank reserves, helped stabilise market sentiment even as traders dialled back expectations for additional easing. Powell described the move as another step towards normalising policy, saying it should support the labour market without reigniting inflation.

Traders are also awaiting signals from China’s CEWC, typically held in mid-December, where top leaders set economic priorities and policy direction for the coming year.

  • Related Posts

    Oil prices jump over 5% after US strikes Iran, stoking fresh supply fears – Firstpost

    Global oil prices surged on Wednesday after the United States launched a series of military strikes against Iran, escalating tensions in West Asia and raising fresh concerns over the security…

    Continue reading
    India’s next global advantage may lie beyond cheap labour — in AI-led investment – Firstpost

    For decades, the global investment equation was remarkably simple. Multinational companies built factories where labour was abundant, wages were low and production costs could be squeezed. That formula transformed China…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *