Hong Kong
Hong Kong stocks rose 1.33 per cent last week in choppy trade with telecommunications stocks supporting the market.
The Hang Seng Index gained 201.43 points for the week to close at 15,274.53.
China Telecom continued to shore up the index, as investors kept buying the counter after the company's recent roadshow for its global fund-raising exercise.
The counter gained 10.57 per cent to $38.70 over the week under volatile trade sparked by false rumours of the company's inclusion in the Morgan Stanley Capital International indices for Hong Kong or the mainland.
Cable & Wireless HKT also drove the market higher, with the counter gaining 6.66 per cent to close at $21.60 as investors bought into the stock after the company announced its joint venture with Star TV to provide Internet and television services.
Some investors switched from Wharf Holdings - which spun off its Internet company i-Cable Communications last week for a separate listing - into C&W HKT, whose Internet arm was perceived as stronger than i-Cable.
Yet, i-Cable soared to $15.75 on its Wednesday debut, closing 51.58 per cent above its IPO price of $10.39.
However, the counter did not perform as well on its Nasdaq debut, which caused the share to plunge 19.04 per cent on Thursday. It closed the week at $13.55.
Despite the continued takeover bid for German cellular operator Mannesmann, in which Hutchison Whampoa has a 10.1 per cent stake, the company fell 2.3 per cent last week to $95.50, while Cheung Kong (Holdings) - which has a 49.97 per cent stake in Hutchison - fell 2.85 per cent to $85.
Trading on the Growth Enterprise Market started last week with the three new issues soaring on debut as some investors shifted from H shares to the second board.
H shares also suffered as investors pulled back from companies that look set to lose out from the mainland's expected entry into the World Trade Organisation.
The H-share index fell 9.54 per cent to 469.53 while the red-chip index edged up 0.36 per cent to close at 1,122.03.
Stephen Seawright November 19: 15,073.1 November 26: 15,274.53 Per cent change: + 1.33