Hong Kong stocks start new year strong

By Laura He, MarketWatch

Shutterstock/Chungking

Hong Kong stocks closed higher on the first trading day of 2015, while other Asian markets also rose.

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Hong Kong stocks closed higher on Friday, the first trading day of 2015, as mainland Chinese property shares rallied amid expectations that China might loosen monetary policy further in the new year to boost growth.

The Hang Seng Index /zigman2/quotes/210598030/delayed HK:HSI -1.45%  advanced 1.1%, with the Hang Seng China Enterprises /zigman2/quotes/210598031/delayed CN:160462 -1.70%  , which tracks Hong Kong-listed mainland companies, higher by 2.2%. The gains came despite the release of official data showing further weakness in China’s manufacturing sector.

A day earlier, the government-sponsored version of China’s Purchasing Managers Index slipped to 50.1 in December from 50.3 in November, marking the third straight month of decline.

In the markets, mainland real-estate stocks posted broad-based advances, as analysts said they expect the central bank to continue to inject liquidity into the economy into the new year.

Poly Property Group Co. Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/209766147/delayed HK:119 -1.92%  soared 18.8%, China Vanke Co., Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/203851375/delayed HK:2202 -0.55%   surged 10.6% and Shimao Property Holdings Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/208719072/delayed HK:813 -3.28%   was up 9%. China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/205731176/delayed HK:688 -0.74%   leapt 8.5%, and China Resources Land Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/202417326/delayed HK:1109 -0.92%   cracked 7.1% higher.

However, casino shares fell across the board, as Macau’s gambling revenues dropped 30.4% year-on-year in December. Wynn Macau Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/200973447/delayed HK:1128 -1.68%   was down 3.7%, Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. declined 2.7%, and SJM Holdings Ltd. /zigman2/quotes/203488207/delayed HK:880 -1.73%  lost 2.6%.

In other Asian markets, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 /zigman2/quotes/210598100/delayed AU:XJO -0.36%  finished up 0.5%, and South Korea’s Kospi Composite Index /zigman2/quotes/210598069/delayed KR:180721 -0.16%  settled 0.6% higher.

Japan and Shanghai markets were closed on Friday for the extended New Year’s Day holiday.

/zigman2/quotes/210598030/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:HSI

Hang Seng Index

HK : Hong Kong Exchange

16,224.15

-239.11 -1.45%

Volume: 1.99M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:59a

/zigman2/quotes/210598031/delayed

Add to watchlist CN:HSCEI

Hang Seng China Enterprises Index

CN : Hong Kong Exchange

5,567.83

-96.09 -1.70%

Volume: 0.00

Dec. 7, 2023 11:59a

/zigman2/quotes/209766147/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:0119

Poly Property Group Co. Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 1.53

-0.03 -1.92%

Volume: 533,002

Dec. 7, 2023 11:57a

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

3.14%

Market Cap

$5.88 billion

Rev. per Employee

$5.19M

/zigman2/quotes/203851375/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:2202

China Vanke Co. Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 7.21

-0.04 -0.55%

Volume: 9.55M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:58a

P/E Ratio

4.00

Dividend Yield

10.24%

Market Cap

$130.92 billion

Rev. per Employee

$3.91M

/zigman2/quotes/208719072/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:0813

Shimao Group Holdings Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 0.59

-0.02 -3.28%

Volume: 4.30M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:58a

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.00%

Market Cap

$2.24 billion

Rev. per Employee

$1.23M

/zigman2/quotes/205731176/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:0688

China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 13.40

-0.10 -0.74%

Volume: 3.11M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:58a

P/E Ratio

6.50

Dividend Yield

5.60%

Market Cap

$148.85 billion

Rev. per Employee

$43.24M

/zigman2/quotes/202417326/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:1109

China Resources Land Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 26.90

-0.25 -0.92%

Volume: 1.23M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:58a

P/E Ratio

5.46

Dividend Yield

5.99%

Market Cap

$192.54 billion

Rev. per Employee

$4.23M

/zigman2/quotes/200973447/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:1128

Wynn Macau Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 5.86

-0.10 -1.68%

Volume: 6.32M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:58a

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.00%

Market Cap

$30.55 billion

Rev. per Employee

$681,496

/zigman2/quotes/203488207/delayed

Add to watchlist HK:0880

SJM Holdings Ltd.

HK : Hong Kong

$ 2.27

-0.04 -1.73%

Volume: 5.17M

Dec. 7, 2023 11:52a

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.00%

Market Cap

$16.05 billion

Rev. per Employee

$388,435

/zigman2/quotes/210598100/delayed

Add to watchlist AU:XJO

S&P/ASX 200 Benchmark Index

AU : S&P ASX

7,152.80

-25.60 -0.36%

Volume: 442,826

Dec. 7, 2023 2:54p

/zigman2/quotes/210598069/delayed

Add to watchlist KR:SEU

KOSPI Composite Index

KR : Korea Exchange

2,491.47

-3.91 -0.16%

Volume: 318,756

Dec. 7, 2023 12:54p