The Hang Seng Index advanced 0.5 per cent to 22,026.11 at 9.50am local time. The benchmark is up 3.3 per cent so far this week, putting it on course for its best weekly performance since March 7. The Hang Seng Tech Index added 0.8 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index strengthened 0.2 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.1 per cent.
Search-engine giant Baidu jumped 4.1 per cent to HK$87.80, online gaming provider NetEase surged 2.9 per cent to HK$166.00 and WeChat operator Tencent Holdings gained 1.7 per cent to HK$479.00.
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group lost 3.8 per cent to HK$9.26, while chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation dropped 3.8 per cent to HK$44.70. Bottled-water seller Nongfu Spring declined 0.9 per cent to HK$36.40.
Major markets in Asia-Pacific strengthened after dovish comments from Fed officials and stronger-than-expected earnings from Google parent Alphabet pushed the S&P 500 Index 2 per cent higher.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 1.2 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.7 per cent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.6 per cent.
