HSI Up At Noon On US Stimulus Hopes

Hong Kong shares went into the break on a healthy note on Thursday as hopes for a breakthrough on a new US stimulus added to ongoing vaccine optimism.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.56 percent, or 149 points, to 26,682.

HSBC led the way, climbing near 3 percent.

Meanwhile, China stocks edged lower after the US House of Representatives passed a bill that threatened to delist Chinese companies off American stock exchanges, a move likely to further ratchet up tensions between Beijing and Washington.

At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.09 percent at 3,446, while the blue-chip CSI300 index slipped 0.11 percent.

The smaller Shenzhen index was up 0.17 percent, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was higher by 1.25 percent and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index was up 0.56 percent. (AFP/Reuters)