BULLS took the market on a 160-point surge on the Hang Seng Index February contract to 8,085, at par with the cash market.
March futures rose by a similar margin to 8,100.
Overall market turnover was a respectable 25,310 contracts with 18,800 in February and 6,500 contracts in March.
Rumours of a relaxation in mortgage lending by banks for luxury properties initially triggered buying. Local and overseas buyers were active. At 8,100 the futures met with resistance, with some heavy selling.
The February contract, with only three effective trading days left to expiry, ended the day on a three-point premium to the cash.
In index options trading, Jardine Fleming said: 'The options market was relatively quiet as compared to the futures market.