FX.co ★ Hang Seng Retreats from Near 4-Year High But Up for the Week

The Hang Seng Index fell by 279 points, or 1.1%, finishing at 25,388 on Friday, ending a five-day winning streak as investors booked profits ahead of the upcoming significant Politburo meeting next week. The market retreated from a nearly four-year high due to growing skepticism around the possibility of large-scale stimulus measures from Beijing. Attention is now moving towards the U.S.-China trade discussions. Delegations from the two nations are scheduled to convene in Stockholm next week to negotiate an extension of the current trade truce before the August 12 deadline. In the absence of an agreement, tariffs could surge to 145% on U.S. exports and 125% on Chinese goods. Among the prominent decliners were Kuaishou Technology, dropping by 4.9%; Akeso Inc., down by 3.3%; Meituan, decreasing by 3.0%; and Pop Mart International, falling by 2.8%. Despite the daily decline, the index rose 2.3% over the week—marking its third consecutive weekly gain—buoyed by optimism regarding a significant hydropower project in Tibet and new policy support from Beijing, including a draft amendment to the pricing law designed to limit excessive competition and price wars.