China stocks steady in thin trading

China stocks were largely steady on Wednesday morning, as blue-chips firmed but small-caps dropped amid thin year-end trading.

At 04:03 GMT, the Shanghai Composite index was down 1.31 points or 0.04 per cent at 3,295.23.

China’s blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.06 per cent, with its financial sector sub-index lower by 0.33 per cent , the consumer staples sector up 2.72 per cent, the real estate index down 1.23 per cent and healthcare sub-index up 0.45 per cent.

The smaller Shenzhen index was down 0.38 per cent and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.36 per cent.

The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Anhui Leimingkehua Co Ltd up 10.03 per cent, followed by Keda Clean Energy Co Ltd gaining 8.9 per cent and Wuxi Taiji Industry Co Ltd up by 8.16 per cent.

The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Shanghai Chinafortune Co Ltd down 4.98 per cent, followed by Xinjiang Ba Yi Iron & Steel Co Ltd losing 4.78 per cent and Wuhan Xianglong Power Industry Co Ltd down 4.39 per cent.

So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is up 6.22 per cent, while China’s H-share index is 22.9 per cent higher.

Shanghai stocks have declined 0.62 per cent this month.