SHANGHAI: China stocks were subdued on Friday in line with other Asian markets, with mixed trade data weighing on sentiment, while Hong Kong shares rose.
China’s exports rose 8.6% in June from a year earlier, stronger than the expected 8.0% growth, while imports unexpectedly shrank 2.3%, customs data showed on Friday, suggesting manufacturers are front-loading orders in anticipation of tariffs from a growing number of trade partners.
“This reflects the economic condition in China, with weak domestic demand and strong production capacity relying on exports,” said Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.
“The sustainability of strong exports is a major risk for China’s economy in the second half of the year. The economy in the US is weakening. Trade conflicts are getting worse.”
Around the region, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei index closed down 2.45%, tracking Wall Street losses overnight, after investors rotated into smaller companies following the cooler-than-expected US inflation print.
At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.03% at 2,971.30.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.12%, with its financial sector sub-index higher by 1.34%, the consumer staples sector up 0.06%, the real estate index up 3.37% and the healthcare sub-index down 0.01%.
At the close of trade, the Hang Seng index was up 461.05 points or 2.59% at 18,293.38. The Hang Seng China Enterprises index rose 2.52% to 6,532.63.
For the week, the CSI 300 gained 1.2% while the Hang Seng added 2.8%.
The smaller Shenzhen index ended down 0.14% and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.088%.
The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking energy shares rose 0.3%, while the IT sector rose 3.04%, the financial sector ended 2.22% higher and the property sector rose 5.27%.
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