AFP, (21/10) -- Hong Kong stocks ended 0.42 percent higher on Monday
following a record-breaking close on Wall Street at the end of last
week.The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 98.05 points to 23,438.15 on turnover of HK$60.28 billion ($7.78 billion).The
gains were in line with a regional advance following a positive lead
from New York Friday, where the S&P 500 surged 0.65 percent to
another record, while the Dow put on 0.18 percent.The Nasdaq
jumped 1.32 percent to highs not seen since September 2000 thanks to a
surge in Google shares, which topped $1,000 after the Internet giant
posted a 36 percent rise in third-quarter net profit.Hong Kong
dealers bought up technology-related stocks after the Google news.
Chinese Internet titan Tencent Holdings led the gains, jumping 4.2
percent to HK$447.80.However, conglomerate Hutchsion Whampoa
fell 1.1 percent to HK$95.75 after it said Friday it had scrapped plans
to sell its ParknShop grocery chain.Chinese shares closed up
1.62 percent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index jumped 35.46 points
to 2,229.24 on turnover of 123.9 billion yuan ($20.3 billion).Sentiment
is up after Beijing on Friday released data showing the economy
expanded 7.8 percent year-on-year in July-September, snapping two
quarters of slowing growth.
