SHANGHAI: China's main indexes barely changed on Thursday after a three-session winning streak, with investor attention largely diverted by a dramatic rebound in the offshore yuan.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was flat at 3,367.79 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.2 percent to 3,165.41 points.
Investors' were muted in their response towards a private survey showing that growth in China's services sector accelerated to a 17-month high in December.
Attention was squarely on the Chinese currency, which has rebounded sharply against the US dollar in the offshore market, sparking speculation that Beijing wants a firm grip on the yuan before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration later this month.
Sectors were mixed. Gains were led by transport and energy shares, while consumer and healthcare took a breather.
State-owned enterprise (SOE) reform was the main driver behind the rally of some heavyweight blue-chips, as China vowed to push forward mixed-ownership reforms in several key sectors, including aviation, railway and telecommunications.
SOE Reform bellwether China United Network Communications settled up 5.7 percent, within sight of an 16-month high hit on late December. The stock soared 89 percent since end September.
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