HK Stocks Edge Up Ahead Of China-US Talks

Hong Kong stocks rose slightly on Tuesday as investors keep a watchful eye on the latest round of US-China trade talks.

The Hang Seng Index edged up 0.1 percent, to 28,146 at the finish.

Across the border, the Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.4 percent, to close at 2,952 while the Shenzhen Composite Index rose 0.5 percent, to 1,582.

Little of substance is expected from the latest round of US-China trade talks getting underway in Shanghai and both sides have worked to lower expectations ahead of the meeting.

"Realistically, this round of talks is about clarifying where the two sides stand after a significant lull in engagement," said Jake Parker, senior vice president at the US-China Business Council.

"There also needs to be a focus on rebuilding trust that was present in April but has since dissipated."

Tokyo ended 0.4 percent higher, with traders lacking a set of clear trading pegs from a raft of economic data released by the Japanese government before the opening bell.

Sydney closed up 0.3 percent, just below a nearly 12-year high for the ASX200 blue chip index.

Elsewhere in the region, Seoul pared Monday's losses to rise 0.5 percent in the morning, while Taipei was down 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile the pound slipped against the US dollar to its lowest levels since early 2017 amid firming expectations of a no-deal British withdrawal from the European Union. In Hong Kong, the sterling was fetching HK$9.51. (AFP)