HONG KONG, June 12 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares will open 1.3 percent higher on Friday, with the main index breaching the 19,000-point level for the first time since September 2008, boosted by encouraging U.S. economic retail and jobs data.
China Construction Bank (CCB) will open 2.6 percent higher after the country's third-largest bank said it was interested in taking equity stakes in domestic insurer Happy Life Insurance Co and China Cinda Asset Management Corp.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index was set to open 243.76 points higher at 19,034.79, led by HSBC, which will start 3.5 percent higher.
The China Enterprises Index of top mainland companies was set to start up 1 percent at 11,190.14.
(Reporting by Parvathy Ullatil; Editing by Chris Lewis)