Hong Kong stocks gain as material firms shine

** China reported no new locally transmitted mainland COVID-19 case for the first time in nearly two months, official data showed on Monday, adding to signs that it has managed to stamp out the latest wave of the disease. ** Mainland investors continued to pour in, buying net of more than HK$12 billion worth of Hong Kong stocks on Monday via the Stock Connect, according to Refinitiv data.

Hong Kong stocks eked out gains on Monday, underpinned by material firms, after China reported zero new local cases of the novel coronavirus and as mainland buying continued.

** The Hang Seng index gained 0.1% at 29,319.47, while the China Enterprises Index was unchanged at 11,560.01 points. ** China reported no new locally transmitted mainland COVID-19 case for the first time in nearly two months, official data showed on Monday, adding to signs that it has managed to stamp out the latest wave of the disease.

** Mainland investors continued to pour in, buying net of more than HK$12 billion worth of Hong Kong stocks on Monday via the Stock Connect, according to Refinitiv data. ** The southbound legs of the Stock Connect linking mainland and Hong Kong will halt from Feb. 9 through Feb. 17 during China's Lunar New Year holiday, according to Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

** Market participants looked past the country's market regulator releasing new anti-monopoly guidelines on Sunday that targeted internet platforms. ** The Hang Seng tech index, which tracks many of China's tech giants, managed to end 0.4% higher.

** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index firmed 0.58%, while Japan's Nikkei index closed up 2.12%. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.457 per U.S. dollar at 08:30 GMT, 0.15% higher than the previous close of 6.4664.

** At close, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 36.42% over Hong Kong-listed H-shares.