SHANGHAI: China and Hong Kong stocks climbed to their highest in three weeks on Friday as technology shares rose and investors hoped for fresh stimulus from a key policy meeting next week.
The Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.2% to its highest close since mid-November, while the blue-chip index CSI 300 gained 1.3%.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index advanced 1.6%, touching its highest level in three weeks.
Expectations for fresh policy support are building ahead of the Central Economic Work Conference, which will set the agenda and targets for China’s economy for 2025.
Fund distributor and adviser Lead Fund said expectations of policies from the conference could bolster the stock market, advising investors “to be more optimistic” even as China’s economic recovery remains fragile.
US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats have added pressure on an economy struggling amid a property crisis and anaemic consumption.
Tao Wang, Chief China economist at UBS Investment Bank, expects November data to show China’s property market - a key part of the economy - to remain weak despite a flurry of rescue measures.
But risk appetite remains high in China’s stock market, with outstanding margin financing, or the amount of leveraged stock bets, hitting a nine-year high of 1.85 trillion yuan ($254.98 billion) on Thursday.
Tech shares led the gains in China. Sectors including software development, telecom and computer all jumped more than 2%.
China’s ministry of finance published draft rules on Thursday that would provide incentives for government agencies to buy China-made products, fuelling bets on home-grown technologies.
The procurement policies would benefit sectors including software, chipmaking, IT and high-end equipment, investment advisor Ju Feng said in a note.
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