Stocks in China ended higher on Friday, but the Shanghai Composite index and blue-chip shares closed lower for the week, as a deadline for public comments on fresh US trade tariffs expired.

At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 10.71 points or 0.4 per cent at 2,691.59. The index was down 0.8 per cent for the week. The blue-chip CSI300 index ended 0.45 per cent higher, but was down 1.7 per cent for the week.

The CSI300 financial sector sub-index rose 0.8 per cent and the real estate index ended up 0.94 per cent.

US tariffs on Chinese goods

The Trump administration is ready to move ahead with a next round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports after a public comment period ended at midnight in Washington on Thursday (0400 GMT Friday), but the timing is uncertain, people familiar with the administration's plans told Reuters.

China has warned of retaliation if the United States introduces new tariffs, a foreign ministry spokesman had said on Thursday.

Healthcare shares rose after two days of losses, with the sub-index of the CSI300 tracking healthcare firms, rising as much as 2.7 per cent in the morning session before ending the day 1.9 per cent higher.

The gains follow heavy selling of healthcare shares in recent months amid a vaccine scandal that has undermined confidence in healthcare and consumer firms. The healthcare sub-index is down more than 23 per cent from late-May highs. Consumer firms ended 1 per cent higher on Friday.

Airlines took off as investors hunted for bargains after losses in recent months due to a weak yuan and rise in oil prices. Juneyao Airlines Co Ltd gained 7.6 per cent, China Eastern Airlines finished 2.8 per cent higher and China Southern Airlines ended up 0.8 per cent.

The smaller Shenzhen index ended 0.11 per cent firmer, while the start-up board, ChiNext Composite index, was higher by 0.17 per cent.

Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.26 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei index closed down 0.8 per cent. At 07:14 GMT, the yuan was quoted at 6.8386 per US dollar, 0.17 per cent weaker than the previous close of 6.8267.

The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Ningxia Xinri Hengli Steel Wire Rope Co Ltd , up 10.07 per cent, followed by Gansu Gangtai Holding Group Co Ltd, up 10.03 per cent, and Zhejiang Tiancheng Controls Co Ltd, up 10.03 per cent.

The largest percentage losers in the Shanghai index were Nanjing Central Emporium Group Stocks Co Ltd, down 9.97 per cent, followed by Dawning Information Industry Co Ltd , down 8.25 per cent and China National Software & Service Co Ltd, down 6.71 per cent.

So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is down 18.3 per cent, the CSI300 has fallen 18.7 per cent, while China's H-share index listed in Hong Kong is down 9.7 per cent.

Shanghai stocks have declined 0.84 per cent this month. About 10.75 billion shares were traded on the Shanghai exchange, roughly 88.3 per cent of the market's 30-day moving average of 12.18 billion shares a day. The volume in the previous trading session was 9.90 billion.

As of 07:16 GMT, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 19.65 per cent over the Hong Kong-listed H-shares. The Shanghai stock index is below its 50-day moving average and below its 200-day moving average.

The price-to-earnings ratio of the Shanghai index was 11.32 as of the last full trading day, while the dividend yield was 2.7 per cent. So far this week, the market capitalisation of the Shanghai stock index has fallen by 1.24 per cent to 28.66 trillion yuan.

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