Hong Kong shares end Lunar Year higher in thin trade, log strongest gain in eight years

Hong Kong shares ended higher on the final trading day of the Lunar Year of the Snake, as cautious positioning around the long holiday and the absence of southbound flows kept turnover thin.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index stood at 26,705, up 138 points, or 0.52 percent, though turnover was light at HK$84.9 billion. The Hang Seng Tech Index ended the morning session at 5,367, up 7 points, or 0.13 percent.

For the Lunar Year of the Snake, the Hang Seng Index rose 32 percent, marking its biggest lunar-year gain in eight years and extending its advance for a second consecutive year, while the tech index gained nearly 14 percent.