FX.co ★ Hong Kong Stocks Eye Second Straight Weekly Rise

Hong Kong's stock market witnessed a notable increase of 153 points, or 0.6%, reaching 26,785 during Friday's morning trading session. This marks a continuation of a three-day upward trend, inspired by overnight gains in Wall Street. The market's optimism was bolstered by U.S. President Trump announcing a framework agreement with NATO concerning a potential Greenland deal, as well as data emphasizing the resilience of the American economy. For the week, the Hang Seng Index is poised for a second consecutive weekly gain, albeit a modest one of approximately 0.3%. This rise is underpinned by Chinese economic data indicating that 2025 GDP growth successfully met the 5% target, despite weaker performance in the fourth quarter. Investors generally overlooked local statistics revealing that inflation hit a six-month peak of 1.4% in December, and core inflation slightly increased to 1.2%. Gains were widespread across various sectors, with consumer, technology, and financial stocks leading the advance. Key performers included Pop Mart International, rising by 6.5%, Zijin Gold International up 4.0%, Xiaomi Corporation increasing by 2.4%, and Innovent Biologics with a 1.9% gain. Market participants are now anticipating the release of Q1 business sentiment data later today and December trade figures expected next week.