Hong Kong stocks ended the week with gains despite a sharp sell-off on Friday, with the Hang Seng Index (HSI) rising 1.60% over the five trading sessions as earlier advances outweighed late profit-taking.
The benchmark index closed at 24,562.24 on Friday, down 1.78% from the previous session after retreating from Thursday’s weekly high of 25,008.60. The HSI had started the week at 24,213.72 before posting four consecutive daily gains that briefly lifted the index above the 25,000-point mark.
Investor sentiment remained broadly positive through most of the week, although Friday’s decline reflected growing caution amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising US Treasury yields, which fuelled concerns over the outlook for global interest rates.
Trading was characterised by sector rotation rather than broad-based buying. Oil and gas counters outperformed as crude oil prices climbed following escalating US-Iran tensions, while traditional Chinese medicine stocks also gained on policy expectations. In contrast, memory chip-related and selected artificial intelligence stocks came under pressure.
Blue-chip performance was mixed, with gains in China Hongqiao, Longfor Group and China Resources Beer offsetting losses in China Life Insurance and Xinyi Glass.
Despite the late-week weakness, the Hang Seng remained above its opening level for the week, reflecting resilient investor appetite as market participants balanced improving corporate earnings expectations against persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.
