Local shares close higher after holiday break
Hong Kong stocks finished Tuesday on a positive note following a long holiday weekend, with traders weighing US jobs data that suggests the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates again next month. But the jobs report last Friday also soothed concerns that the world's top economy was slowing too fast and could be on course for a recession, after last week's sub-par manufacturing and services sector activity numbers. The focus is now on US inflation data later in the week. The Hang Seng Index climbed 0.76 percent, or 154.04 points, to 20,485.24. The Shanghai Composite Index eased 0.05 percent, or 1.79 points, to 3,313.57, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange edged up 0.14 percent, or 3.05 points, to 2,139.48. (AFP)