Hong Kong shares open higher as tech stocks rise

Hong Kong stocks opened higher on Thursday, lifted by gains in major tech names.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index opened 169 points higher, or 0.66 percent, at 25,999, with turnover at HK$4.4 billion.

The China Enterprises Index rose 52 points, or 0.57 percent, to 9,203. The Hang Seng Tech Index started at 5,646, up 0.7 percent.

Tech heavyweights were broadly firmer. Alibaba (9988) climbed 1.2 percent, Tencent (0700) added 0.6 percent, Meituan (3690) gained 1 percent, and Baidu (9888) jumped more than 3 percent. JD.com (9618) was unchanged. Xiaomi (1810) slipped 0.05 percent after its earnings, while NetEase (9999) fell 1.3 percent ahead of its results due after the close.