Hong Kong stocks rose on Friday, logging their best weekly performance in nine months, as sentiment towards mainland internet companies brightened.

Markets on the mainland, however, fell as investors locked in profits on chip stocks after a blistering rally.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended 144 points, or 0.6 percent, higher at 24,175 on turnover of HK$339.59 billion.

The tech index edged down nine points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,721 while the China Enterprises Index rose 41 points, or 0.5 percent, to 8,039.

The Hang Seng Index has advanced nearly four percent this week, logging its biggest weekly gain since October.

The tech index has climbed 12 percent from a one-and-a-half-year low hit in June, as investors rotate out of hardware stocks and into lower-valuation names. It has risen roughly five percent this week.

Up north, the Shanghai Composite Index ended down 40 points, or one percent, at 3,996 on turnover of 1.56 trillion yuan.

The Shenzhen Component Index dropped 352 points, or 2.29 percent, to 15,046 on turnover of nearly 1.83 trillion yuan while the ChiNext Index plunged 175 points, or 4.37 percent, to 3,842 on turnover of 853.94 billion yuan.

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index ended two percent lower for the day and 1.3 percent down for the week.

The rally in mainland chip stocks this week had been fuelled by anticipation building around major memory chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies' listing.

Consumer staples and healthcare shares led gains onshore, up two percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Semiconductor shares fell 6.4 percent, reversing gains on the previous day.

Satellite Industry shares jumped 5.2 percent, after China successfully tested an experimental rocket retrieval system using a net attached to a sea platform.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 ended 813 points, or 1.2 percent, higher at 68,557 after rising up to 2.4 percent earlier in the session. The broader Topix edged up 15 points, or 0.39 percent, to 4,036.

In Seoul, the Kospi closed up 184 points, or 2.52 percent, at 7,475 but marked a third straight weekly decline, down 7.57 percent, amid volatility driven by concerns over AI demand. (Reuters & Xinhua)


Edited by Aaron Tam