HK Hot Stocks: Property and oil plays gain
HONG KONG, May 2 (Reuters) - Here are some stocks on the move in Hong Kong on Friday.
As of 0247 GMT, the benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI was up 2.09 percent at 26,292.82 points, led by a 3.3 percent gain in heavyweight China Mobile (0941.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which lifted the index more than 86 points.
The index opened at a three-and-a-half month high.
The China Enterprises Index of Hong Kong-listed mainland companies .HSCE, or H shares, was up 2.81 percent at 14,630.71 points.
STOCKS ON THE MOVE:
* Heavyweight HSBC (0005.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) climbed 1.3 percent to HK$136.90 after it said it aimed to launch its first life insurance joint venture in China in July or August and planned to offer pension services with a local partnership in the world's fastest growing major economy, a senior HSBC executive said on Thursday. [ID:nN01441179]
* Interest rate sensitive property plays Hang Lung (0101.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and New World Development (0017.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) were among the top gainers after the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on Friday lowered the base rate charged through its overnight discount window by 25 basis points to 3.50 percent.
The central bank's move followed the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to cut its benchmark federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point to 2 percent on Wednesday.
Hang Lung climbed 6.3 percent to HK$33.70. New World Development gained 4.7 percent to HK$21.05.
* Top Chinese oil refiner Sinopec Corp (0386.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) climbed 4.8 to HK$8.67 percent on falling oil prices. Oil fell for the fourth session in a row, slipping below $112 a barrel on Friday, pressured by a firm dollar, easing supply worries in major crude exporter Nigeria, and concerns that demand in United States will slow.[ID:nSYD104657]
Rival PetroChina (0857.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) climbed 3.3 percent to HK$11.98.
* China's airlines also jumped on easing oil prices.
Flag carrier Air China (0753.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)60111.SS soared 6.2 percent to HK$6.14. China Eastern (0670.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(600115.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) jumped roughly 7.5 percent to HK$3.60, and China Southern (1055.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(600029.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) climbed 5.1 percent to HK$5.34.
Oil and coal carrier China Shipping Development (1138.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) soared roughly 7.7 percent to HK$27.55.
(US$1=HK$7.8) (Reporting by Joseph Chaney; Eediting by Anne Marie Roantree)
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