Hong Kong stocks ended 1.81 percent higher on Tuesday, boosted by local developers on strong property sales data last month.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 382.46 points, or 1.87 percent higher, to close at 20,811.53 on Tuesday after trading between 20,509.64 and 20,824.13. Turnover fell to 56.30 billion HK dollars (7.27 billion U.S. dollars) from Monday's 43.68 billion HK dollars (5.64 billion U.S. dollars).
Analysts said they expect the blue-chip index to consolidate in the coming sessions because of an absence of positive news.
Three of the four major sub-indices gained. The commerce and industry sub-index added most at 2.14 percent, followed by the properties at 1.99 percent and the finance at 1.92 percent. The only loser utilities-sub-index slid 0.71 percent.
Blue-chip developers rose strongly after the Hong Kong government said the city's property transactions in September jumped 96 percent from a year earlier to 14,437. The value of all transactions totaled 67.05 billion HK dollars, up 184.6 percent from September last year.
Analysts said the up trend in the local property market could be sustained and would likely provide support for Hong Kong property stocks in the near term.
As for local properties, Cheung Kong, the flagship of Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, rose 0.86 percent to 94.10 HK dollars.
Sino Land jumped 3.6 percent to 13.86 HK dollars, while Sun Hung Kai Properties added 2.0 percent to 110.70 HK dollars, and New World Development rose 2.0 percent to 16.46 HK dollars.
Analysts said they don't believe interest rates will rise before the end of the year, and forecast local residential property prices would rise a further 2 percent to 3 percent in the fourth quarter from the third quarter.
Heavyweight HSBC rose 1.17 percent to 86.70 HK dollars. Another heavyweight HKex, the sole exchange operator in Hong Kong, slid 136.80 percent to 136.80 HK dollars.
China Mobile rose 2.33 percent to 76.70 HK dollars.
China Resources Cement ended its first trading session unchanged from its initial public offering price of 3.90 HK dollars after it struggled to stay in the black, reflecting the weak demand.
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