Hong Kong shares climb in half-day trading ahead of holiday

HONG KONG: Hong Kong shares climbed in half-day trading on Monday, led by material stocks, as thin volumes prevailed ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, with mainland markets already closed for a week-long break.

• The Hong Kong market will close in the afternoon and will resume trading on Friday.
• At the close of trade, the Hang Seng Index was up 138.82 points, or 0.52%, at 26,705.94.
• The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 0.42% to 9,070.32.
• The Hang Seng Composite Index, which tracks material stocks, climbed 3.96% earlier in the day.
• The Hang Seng energy sub-index jumped 2.2%, the Hang Seng TECH Index rose 0.13%, and the financial sector added 0.37%.
• The top gainer in the Hang Seng was Zijin Mining , which gained 4.67%, while the biggest loser was HSBC Holdings, with a 1.11% decline.
• The top gainers among H-shares were Zijin Mining, followed by China Hongqiao, gaining 3.92% and CNOOC Ltd, up by 3.71%.
• The three largest H-share decliners were Yum China , down 4.58%; BeOne Medicines AG, which fell 1.34%; and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp , down 0.64%.