HSI edges higher but short of 20,000
Hong Kong stocks finished the first trading day of the week with modest gains, but could not break through the 20,000-point level. The Hang Seng Index opened higher on Monday but failed to make further headway, losing ground by noon. The index closed the day 51 points or 0.26 percent higher at 19,950. Turnover was HK$93 billion. Asian equities were generally lower following last week's temporary rally on Wall Street due to fears of surging inflation and supply chain woes amid Covid-19. (Additional reporting by AFP)