Hong Kong stocks rose 0.8 percent on Monday, in line with recovering Asian markets, after insurer China Life issued upbeat profit guidance and real estate shares outperformed the day before a government land auction.
PetroChina Co Ltd slid on news that Warren Buffett had reduced his stake in the oil producer. Lenovo Group Ltd was a top performer, rallying as much as 14 percent after Citigroup issued a strong earnings outlook for the computer maker. "We are seeing good results from Chinese companies, so that's providing some support," said Howard Gorges, vice chairman at South China Brokerage.
"Sentiment is still cautious but I think there's a feeling that the sell-off might have been overdone a bit." Investors will be nervously eyeing reports on US home sales and other economic indicators later in the week. "The US market will still be volatile, with uncertainties from housing and the economy," said Patrick Shum, strategist at Karl-Thomson Securities.
"I expect the Hang Seng to test 21,800 this or next week - that should be the bottom," Shum said. The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed up 169.49 points to end at 22,739.90. The China Enterprises index of H shares, or Hong Kong-listed shares in mainland companies, gained 0.8 percent, or 104.63 points, to end at 13,031.06.
Main board turnover was HK$80.7 billion (US $10.3 billion), down from Friday's near record HK$112.5 billion. PetroChina, the day's most traded share after HSBC Holdings Plc, tumbled 3.2 percent to HK$11.38. China Life, the country's top life insurer, leapt 3.3 percent to HK$33.1 after saying on Friday its first-half 2007 net profit would more than double.
Rival Ping An Insurance raced up 2 percent to HK$64.65. PICC Property and Casualty Ltd vaulted 3.3 percent to HK$8.9, having earlier touched a record high. Lenovo Group shot up 10.8 percent to HK$5.13 after Citigroup said it expected Lenovo's turnaround to continue after 22 percent year-on-year growth in its fiscal first-quarter PC shipments.
HSBC shares ended up 0.1 percent at HK$141.30, reversing earlier losses. Its shares have underperformed the Hang Seng since the start of the second quarter, having been battered by its exposure to the troubled US subprime mortgage sector. Shares in Hong Kong property developers outperformed, with the Hang Seng property subindex rising 1.5 percent.
Among blue chip developers, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd climbed 1.3 percent to HK$109 and Sun Hung Kai Properties advanced 1 percent to HK$99.05. Chinese equity fund HSBC Dragon Fund raced up 4.1 percent to HK$14.9 per unit, tracking strong gains in mainland-listed stocks.
Hang Seng Bank, which is partly owned by HSBC, jumped 2.5 percent to HK$112.90. The bank reported a 43.2 percent increase in first-half earnings on Monday, beating expectations.
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