HK stocks rise ahead of reopen of China markets after holiday break

** The Hong Kong Hang Seng sub-index, tracking property firms, slid 0.65% and the Hang Seng Finance Index surged 1.02%. ** The top gainer in the Hang Seng Index was Sands China , which was up 4.93%, while the biggest percentage loser was Sunny Optical, which dropped 2.79%.

Hong Kong stocks rose on Wednesday, extending a bull run after the Lunar New Year holidays and on course for seven consecutive sessions of gains, with increasing risk appetite from investors on optimism over global economic recovery.

** The market sentiment is strong and positive on the back of an improving pandemic situation and on anticipation the bull run will continue when China markets reopen, brokers said. ** The Hang Seng index rose 0.65% at 30,946.10 by mid-day, the highest since June 2018, while the China Enterprises Index increased 1.12% to 12,171.05 points.

** The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 0.75% and the Hang Seng sub-index, tracking information technology firms, rose 0.76%. ** China's mainland markets will remain closed for the Lunar New Year celebrations and are scheduled to reopen on Feb. 18.

** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan ticked up 0.59% while Japan's Nikkei slid 0.47%. ** The Hong Kong Hang Seng sub-index, tracking property firms, slid 0.65% and the Hang Seng Finance Index surged 1.02%.

** The top gainer in the Hang Seng Index was Sands China , which was up 4.93%, while the biggest percentage loser was Sunny Optical, which dropped 2.79%. ** The biggest gainer in Hang Seng Tech Index was Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Limited, which soared 11.13%, while the top percentage loser was Hua Hong Semiconductor , down 7.31%