Sophie Taylor
January 13, 2005
Hong Kong stocks climbed 0.41 percent on Wednesday after six days of losses, in what traders said was a technical rebound from oversold conditions.
Traders said worries about hot money flowing out of the market and concerns about higher interest rates this year have undermined sentiment, sparking a selloff in the last few sessions.
The Hang Seng Index rose 0.41 percent, or 56.06 points, to 13,565.31. Turnover was HK$20.7 billion, compared to HK$19.5 billion at Tuesday's close.
The Hang Seng's 14-day relative strength index is 14. A reading below 30 usually signifies oversold market conditions.
``The market was extremely oversold and is still oversold, driven down mainly by fears of a sudden reversal of fund inflows. But there is no hard evidence of hard outflows, so we are expecting a comeback,'' said Alex Tang, research director at Core Pacific-Yamaichi International (HK).
He expects the Hang Seng Index to end the month within the range of 13,800 to 14,000.
Daniel Poon, head of Hong Kong and China equities at ABN Amro Asia, said the direction of the US dollar would have a significant effect on the Hang Seng in the long run.
``If the renewed fall of the US dollar is sustainable, then obviously that is positive for our market,'' Poon said.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) fell 1.26 percent to HK$1.57 after Morgan Stanley cut its 2004 and 2005 earnings forecasts for SMIC by 39 percent and 17 percent, respectively, citing oversupply in the sector amid an industry downcycle.
Standard Chartered shed 0.73 percent to close at HK$136, extending Tuesday's 1.79 percent fall after Lehman Brothers cut its price target for the bank to 940 pence a share from 1,015 pence on the back of the bank's plan to buy Korea First Bank. Brilliance China Automotive Holdings slid 0.69 percent to HK$1.44 after JPMorgan cut its 2004 and 2005 net profit forecasts for the top mainland minivan maker by 28 percent and 29 percent, respectively, citing weak auto sales in December.
PetroChina climbed 1.24 percent to HK$4.075 after receiving the green light from Beijing to build China's fifth liquefied natural gas project.
China Power International Development was up 0.95 percent at HK$2.65 after getting the go-ahead from Beijing to increase its excess tariff in Jiangsu province by 7 percent, retroactive to June 15, 2004. The additional charge will add more than 11 million yuan (HK$10.36 million) to the company's revenue.
REUTERS