Africa Hope, Inc.

Apr. 23, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Hong Kong stocks rose on Thursday, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index rising 336.01 points or 2.26% to close at 15,214.46.

Mainboard turnover rose to HK$52.610 billion.

The Hang Seng China Enterprise Index, which tracks the overall performance of 43 Chinese mainland state-owned enterprises on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, surged 217.84 points or 2.5% to 8,939.09 points.

Market heavyweight HSBC Holdings Plc<5><HBC>, which accounts for the largest weighting for the Hang Seng Index, swelled 2.35% to HK$52.55.

PCCW Ltd<8> plunged 13.10% to HK$3.58 on news that a Hong Kong court has blocked the company's privatization plan.

Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric Co Ltd<3898> soared 19.59% to HK$10.56. China National Materials Company Ltd<1893> jumped 10.74% to HK$5.98.

Auto stocks led the upward trend on Thursday. Denway Motors Ltd<203> rose 1.63% to HK$3.11. Great Wall Motor Co Ltd< 2333> surged 7.94% to HK$4.35. Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd<489> edged up 6.70%, hitting HK$5.25. Sinotruk (Hong Kong) Ltd<3808> increased 3.97% to HK$6.80. BYD Company Ltd<1211> climbed 0.99% to HK$20.35.

Insurance stocks were gainers. Top insurer China Life Insurance<601628><2628><LFC> rose 4.03% to HK$27.35 while smaller rival Ping An Insurance<601318><2318> surged 1.98% to HK$51.30. PICC Property & Casualty Co Ltd<2328> swelled 5.99% to HK$4.60. China Insurance International Holdings Co<966> ended flat at HK$13.46.

Shares of shipping firms ended mixed today. China COSCO Holdings Company Ltd<601919><1919> rose 2.05% to HK$6.47. China Shipping Development Company Ltd<600026><1138> slid 0.91% to HK$8.69. China Shipping Container Lines Co Ltd<601866><2866> fell 3.06% to HK$1.90. Pacific Basin Shipping Ltd<2343> rose 3.16% to HK$4.24.

China Pharmaceutical Group Ltd<1093> rose 0.79% to HK$3.80. The United Laboratories International Holdings Ltd<3933> went up 1.76% and hit HK$2.88. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Company Ltd<600332><874> slipped 2.55% to HK$2.81. China Shineway Pharmaceutical Group Ltd<2877> edged down 5.31% to HK$4.63. Shandong Luoxin Pharmacy Stock Co Ltd<8058> rose 1.26% to HK$2.40.

Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd<601899><2899> surged 3.01% to HK$5.81. Zhaojin Mining Industry Company Ltd<1818> swelled 0.20% to HK$10.00. Lingbao Gold Company Ltd<3330> went down 0.34% to close at HK$2.91. Sino Gold Mining Limited<1862> edged down 0.52% to HK$28.20.