The Hang Seng Index gained 0.8 per cent to 24,256.44 at 11.30am local time on Wednesday from the level on Monday, while the Hang Seng Tech Index pared losses to 0.1 per cent. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index weakened 0.1 per cent and the CSI 300 Index added 0.1 per cent.
Casino operator Galaxy Entertainment jumped 7 per cent to HK$37.30 while peer Sands China advanced 7.2 per cent to HK$17.52. E-commerce leader JD.com added 0.3 per cent to HK$128.30, while search-engine operator Baidu rose 0.7 per cent to HK$84.05. Solar panel maker Xinyi Solar added 7.2 per cent to HK$2.67.
Mainland buying of Hong Kong stocks reached HK$731.2 billion (US$93 billion) in the first half, according to data from the Hong Kong bourse and Bloomberg, or 90 per cent of last year’s purchases. Southbound net purchases amounted to HK$808 billion in 2024, a record since the Stock Connect link started in 2014.
At a high-level meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, China vowed to deepen the push for a unified national market, emphasising the need to curb aggressive price competition, guide companies to improve product quality and ensure fair state procurement practices, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.