Hong
Kong stocks rose for a third day as earnings at China Petroleum & Chemical
Corp. and Haitong Securities Co. improved and investors await the outcome of
the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting concluding today.
China
Petroleum, Asia’s largest refiner, climbed 2 percent after reporting yesterday
a 20 percent jump in third-quarter net income, beating estimates. Haitong
Securities added 1.1 percent as quarterly profit at the mainland’s No. 2
brokerage more than doubled. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd., the world’s
largest listed jewelry chain, rose 1.3 percent after saying first-half profit
probably increased on strong sales.
The
Hang Seng Index (HSI) gained 0.6 percent to 22,983.59 as of 9:53 a.m. in Hong
Kong, with almost six shares rising for each that fell. The Hang Seng China
Enterprises Index (HSCEI) of mainland companies traded in the city added 0.7
percent to 10,460.02. The Fed will maintain its $85 billion in monthly
bond-buying at the end of today’s meeting and may delay its first stimulus
reduction until March, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
The
Hang Seng Index fell 0.1 percent this month through yesterday. Hong Kong’s
benchmark equity gauge traded at 10.9 times estimated earnings yesterday,
compared with 16 for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
Futures
on the S&P 500 were little changed today. The gauge yesterday added 0.6
percent to a record as earnings from Pfizer Inc. to Xylem Inc. beat estimates
and data indicating slower growth fueled bets the Fed will maintain stimulus.
(Source: Bloomberg)