China shares rose on Friday as better-than-expected Chinese trade data underpinned market sentiment.
At 04:14 GMT, the Shanghai Composite index was up 6.78 points or 0.21 per cent at 3,278.84.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.25 per cent, with its financial sector sub-index lower by 0.17 per cent, the consumer staples sector up 1.48 per cent, the real estate index down 1.35 per cent and healthcare sub-index up 0.2 per cent.
The smaller Shenzhen index was up 0.84 per cent and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was higher by 0.91 per cent.
The yuan was quoted at 6.6178 per US dollar, 0.06 per cent weaker than the previous close of 6.614.
The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Zhejiang Chint Electrics Co Ltd down 7.79 per cent, followed by Sichuan Langsha Holding Ltd losing 5.54 per cent and Shanghai Diesel Engine Co Ltd down by 4.06 per cent.
So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is up 5.43 per cent, while China’s H-share index has risen 18.7 per cent.
Shanghai stocks have declined 1.36 per cent this month, reports Reuters.
The top gainers among H-shares were PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd up 3.6 per cent, followed by Ping An Insurance Group Co of China Ltd gaining 3.55 per cent and New China Life Insurance Co Ltd up by 3.32 per cent.
About 6.47 billion shares have traded so far on the Shanghai exchange, roughly 36.7 per cent of the market’s 30-day moving average of 17.65 billion shares a day.
The volume traded was 13.21 billion as of the last full trading day.