Published on 08/21/2026 at 12:36 am EDT
(Reuters) - The Shanghai stock benchmark was largely unchanged on Friday, while Hong Kong shares inched higher, as investors were holding out hope for more fiscal support at home even as they awaited a fresh catalyst from overseas markets following a recent global bond selloff.
** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was flat at 3,903.81 points, while the blue-chip CSI300 index climbed 0.52%.
** The start-up board ChiNext Composite index was higher by 1.2% and Shanghai's tech-focused

STAR

50 index inched up 0.1%.
** "China is still struggling for traction," said Wee Khoon Chong, APAC macro strategist at BNY.
** "The Shanghai Composite and

STAR

50 were flat despite comments from the Finance Ministry that additional fiscal support may be considered in the second half of the year. The muted reaction suggests policy expectations are already elevated, and investors still want clearer evidence of stronger domestic demand before adding risk."
** China will implement additional fiscal policy measures in response to economic developments, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said on Friday, as growth slows in the world's second-biggest economy.
** A string of July data, ranging from industrial output and retail sales to credit lending, showed the world's second-largest economy grappling with persistently weak domestic demand.
** Non-ferrous metal shares were among the top gainers in morning deals, with a sub-index rising 1.9%, reflecting higher gold prices on the back of a weaker dollar and U.S. Treasury's bond buyback move.
** In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index advanced 0.7%, while the city's tech shares gained 0.5%.
** Market participants would soon shift their attention to Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's speech at the central bank's Jackson Hole symposium next week for clues on how he plans to tackle still-elevated inflation.
** The U.S. Treasury's surprise bond buyback failed to quell lingering concerns about inflation and expanding government debt.
(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

Sumber : Reuters