Hong Kong shares end up 0.1pc, China Merchants Holdings jumps

Hong Kong shares eked out gains in lacklustre trade on Wednesday, helped by a surge in ports-to-logistics conglomerate China Merchants Holdings as investors welcomed official confirmation of the imminent launch of Shanghai’s free trade zone.

The Hang Seng Index finished up 0.1 per cent at 23,209.6 points. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings was flat.

China Merchants climbed 4.4 per cent after the official Xinhua news agency reported that the Shanghai free trade zone is due to be launched on Sunday, confirming a report from Securities Times.