Hong Kong shares jumped 2.8 percent on Friday to post their biggest single-day gain in six weeks, after China hiked the limit for stock investments by foreign funds in a show of support for the market. China stocks rose 0.6 percent ahead of the announcement, rising for a fourth straight day with bank stocks mixed after regulators softened draft rules on banks' capital base that had previously hit the sector.
Beijing announced new draft rules on Friday on inbound portfolio investments, increasing the amount individual institutions can invest in the country's stock markets to $1 billion from $800 million. The move is expected to have a limited impact with the overall investment quota of $30 billion kept intact but is seen as more of a symbolic gesture to bolster investors confidence.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended at 2,861.609 points after a volatile week that brought a marginal 0.03 percent rise, after four straight weeks of losses. The index has fallen more than 17 percent since the beginning of August, battered by worries about high stock valuations, an official clampdown on excessive bank lending and large supplies of new shares. Gaining Shanghai A shares outpaced losers by 735 to 130, while turnover rose slightly to 142 billion yuan ($21 billion) from a moderate 138 billion yuan on Thursday.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country's biggest lender, was up 1.05 percent at 4.80 yuan, while smaller rival Pudong Development Bank eased 0.3 percent to 20.17 yuan. Metal shares outperformed for a second day, with Shandong Gold jumping 7.31 percent to 55.47 yuan as the gold price continued to flirt with $1,000 per ounce.
China's top lead producer, Yuguang Gold and Lead, raced up its 10 percent daily limit to 18.30 yuan, as LME lead hit a 13-month peak. The benchmark Hang Seng Index finished 556.94 points higher at 20,318.62. The gauge rose 1.1 percent on the week, snapping a two-week losing streak.
Turnover jumped to HK$75.7 billion, its highest in a month after languishing around HK$50 billion for the past few sessions while there were nearly three times as many gaining stocks as decliners. Some analysts also attributed the afternoon's sharp rally to short covering ahead of the HSI quarterly re-weighting that will come into effect on September 7.
The China Enterprises Index, which represents top locally listed mainland Chinese stocks, was up 2.9 percent at 11,760.55 led by a 3.6 percent rally in China Construction Bank. Consumer sector-focused China Resources Enterprise jumped 5.2 percent to HK$19.56 after posting a smaller-than-expected fall in first-half profit due to a strong showing by its beverage unit.