China stocks rise as commodities shine; Hong Kong snaps winning streak

China shares rose on Thursday as strong performances in copper and gold miners offset the drag from weak consumer data, while Hong Kong stocks tracked overnight losses in Wall Street. ** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.4% at 3,038.58 points.

China shares rose on Thursday as strong performances in copper and gold miners offset the drag from weak consumer data, while Hong Kong stocks tracked overnight losses in Wall Street.

** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.4% at 3,038.58 points. ** China released worse-than-expected March consumer data on Thursday, maintaining pressure on policymakers to launch more stimulus as demand remains weak.

** Yet a rally in global commodities has lifted the CSI Coal Index and the A-share Resources Index by 2% and 1.7%, respectively. ** Hong Kong stocks snapped a three-day winning streak as U.S. sticky inflation numbers diminished rate-cut hopes and dragged down U.S. shares overnight.

** China's blue-chip CSI300 index was flat, with its financial sector sub-index losing 0.23%, the consumer staples sector down 0.86%, the real estate index dropped nearly 1% and the healthcare sub-index slipped 1.04%. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong fell 0.7% to 5,974.63, while the Hang Seng Index was down 0.76% at 17,009.49.

** The smaller Shenzhen index was up 0.3%, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.37% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index was up 0.61%​. ** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.53% while Japan's Nikkei index was down 0.54%.

** The yuan was quoted at 7.2361 per U.S. dollar, 0.02% weaker than the previous close of 7.2345. ** The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Xiamen XGMA Machinery Co Ltd, up 10.12%, followed by Shaanxi Construction Machinery Co Ltd , gaining 10.06% and Xinjiang Baodi Mining Co Ltd , up by 10.05%.

** The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Sanxiang Advanced Materials Co Ltd, down 10.018%, followed by Dali Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, losing 9.974% and SEC Electric Machinery Co Ltd, down by 9.974%. ** In Hong Kong, the sub-index of the Hang Seng index tracking energy shares rose 1.3%, while the IT sector fell 0.6%.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)