Hong Kong Shares Finish With Gains

Hong Kong stocks ended Thursday with healthy gains, in line with an advance in most other Asian markets, following a lead from Wall Street.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.9 percent, or 231 points, to 26,797. Turnover was HK$68.7 billion.

Heavyweights AIA and HSBC both rose around one percent.

Mainland banks and Macau gaming stocks also fared well, with China Construction Bank up nearly one percent, ICBC climbing almost two percent and Sands China jumping 2.5 percent despite a two percent year-on-year drop in third quarter net revenue.

But Tencent bucked the trend and fell around a third of a percent.

Across the border, the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.2 percent and the blue-chip CSI-300 index ended flat.

Elsewhere in the region, Japan's Nikkei advanced 0.6 percent.

South Korea's Kospi shed 0.2 percent after its GDP data came in lower than expected.

Australia's ASX 200 put on 0.3 percent, while shares in Taiwan and Singapore both closed the day 0.7 percent higher. (Additional reporting by AFP)