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Shanghai stocks up on fund buying; HSBC weighs on HK

Published 11/08/2010, 12:02 AM
Updated 11/08/2010, 12:08 AM

* Shanghai rises 0.67 pct; Hong Kong down 0.1 pct

* Disney deal lifts Shanghai-based taxi, property issues

* HSBC lower after downbeat outlook (Updates to midday)

By Jun Ebias and Farah Master

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - China's key stock index was up 0.67 percent by midday on Monday, with Shanghai-based companies such as Shanghai Qiangsheng Holdings Co Ltd outperforming after Walt Disney Co signed an agreement with the city to build its first mainland theme park.

Analysts said investors were still flush with cash, with many switching from real estate and bonds to stocks, chasing the market's recent rally.

The Shanghai Composite Index was at 3,150.59, after closing up 1.4 percent on Friday, near a seven-month high.

The market, which has jumped 19 percent in the past six weeks, is close to regaining all its losses since the central government unveiled policies to curb escalating property prices.

"China's domestic liquidity situation is very ample, with negative real interest rates meaning money is being taken out of banks and lots of cash still flooding in from the property market," said Ren Chengde, analyst at Galaxy Securities in Shanghai.

Shanghai-based companies strongly outperformed. Taxi company Shanghai Qiangsheng Holdings rose by its 10 percent limit, construction firm Shanghai Pudong Road and Bridge Co Ltd climbed 4 percent, while real estate developer Shanghai Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone Development gained 6.2 percent.

Bullish sentiment helped the market counter a record 2 trillion yuan ($300.1 billion) worth of A shares entering the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges this week after a lock-up period. The shares, from 29 companies, made up nearly 11 percent of total A-share market capitalisation.

Petrochina Co Ltd gained 2.4 percent, although the world's second-most valuable oil and gas producer released nearly 1.9 trillion yuan worth of previously locked-up shares.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp (Sinopec) rose 0.8 percent, while China Oilfield Services Ltd rose 2.1 percent.

Analysts, while mostly bullish on the outlook for the Shanghai market, cautioned that the index was likely to correct after exhaustive gains in the next few sessions, trading in a narrow range ahead of economic data later this week.

Strength in the U.S. dollar on Friday after better-than-expected U.S. jobs data saw slight profit-taking in non-ferrous issues, which had gained on recent weakness in the currency.

Volume reached 153 billion yuan ($22.95 billion) up from 139 billion yuan by midday on Friday.

HSBC, PROPERTIES DRAG HONG KONG DOWN

Stocks in Hong Kong were down O.10 percent at 24,851.16 by the midday trading break, as investors booked gains after the market rallied to a 29-month high last week.

"Some investors are taking profit, while others are reluctant to sell since they envision another rally after the market's consolidation," said Alfred Chan, chief dealer at Cheer Pearl Investment.

The Hang Seng Index's relative strength index (RSI) stayed above the threshold 70 level, indicating that the market was overbought. The RSI stayed below 70 in the last two weeks of October as the index consolidated gains.

British lender HSBC Holdings Plc retreated 1.7, after it said there could be "some bumps in the road" for emerging markets growth, while a British bank tax and tougher rules in Europe would have damaging impact.

Gains in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd and China Life Insurance Co limited declines. ICBC rose 1.5 percent on news China's securities regulator has approved its plan to sell new shares.. China Life was up 2.4 percent.

Hong Kong developers and Chinese banks that surged ahead of the announcement of the Federal Reserve's fresh debt buying programme succumb to profit-taking. China Construction Bank Corp was down 2.3 percent, while Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd lost 1.2 percent.

China Merchants Holdings (International) Co Ltd rose 3.4 percent after it said it had agreed to form a joint venture to buy a 47.5 percent stake in a container-terminal operator in Nigeria. (Editing by Chris Lewis)

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