Shanghai composite index logs first weekly gain in a month as Gulf peace hopes take hold

Updates to market close

By Summer Zhen

- China and Hong Kong stocks rebounded on Friday, with the Shanghai Composite eking out its first weekly gain in a month, tracking broad gains in Asian markets after the U.S. cancelled its planned attack on Iran.

** China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 closed 1.2% higher, while Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC was up 1.1%.

** For the week, the Shanghai Composite finished up 0.09%, but CSI.300 was down 0.8%.

** Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng .HSI rose 1.9%, but dropped 1% for the week, its fifth consecutive weekly loss, largely driven by geopolitical tensions and worries about U.S. rate hike.

** Gold-linked stocks .CSI931238, brokers .CSI399975 and defence sector .CSI399959 led the gains, rising 5.7%, 3.5% and 2.6%, respectively.

** U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that ​would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran said it had not reached a final decision on an agreement.

** A-share listed commercial space-linked stocks surged on Friday, boosted by momentum from SpaceX’s upcoming listing. AVIC Chengdu Aircraft 302132.SZ jumped 11%. Chengdu Spaceon Electronics 002935.SZ gained 10%.

** Despite optimism surrounding AI-related trades, investors expect broad Chinese markets to remain volatile in the near term due to concerns about consumer demand and regulatory uncertainties such as policies over capital flow and tech.

** "There continues to be some reluctance on the part of foreign investors to purchase Chinese assets amidst the evolution of the regulatory environment in China," Kristina Hooper, chief market strategist at Man Group, said in the asset manager's midyear outlook.

** The smaller Shenzhen index .SZSC was up 0.99%, the start-up board ChiNext Composite index .CNT was higher by 0.5% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index .STAR50 was up 0.05%​.