Market Updates
PBoC Held Benchmark Rates Steady, Stocks Advanced In Shanghai and HK
Li Chen
20 Apr, 2026
Hong Kong
Benchmark indexes in China and Asia advanced, and investors overlooked rising tensions in the Persian Gulf.
The Hang Seng Index advanced nearly 1%, the CSI 300 Index inched up 0.5%, and the international crude oil price edged higher by 5% to $95.31 a barrel.
Stocks advanced in Monday's trading, extending the previous two consecutive weeks' gains amid optimism that energy product flows through the Strait of Hormuz will normalize soon.
Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East rose after the U.S. captured an Iranian-flagged vessel over the weekend.
Closer to home, the People's Bank of China held its benchmark lending rates at record lows for the 11th month in a row.
The one-year loan prime rate, the benchmark for residential and commercial lending, was held at 3.0%, while the five-year rate, used for mortgage lending, was held at 3.5%.
China's economy expanded at 5.0% in the first quarter, ahead of the annual target rate of 4.5% set by policymakers, supported by the sustained rise in exports.
China Indexes and Stocks
The Hang Seng Index increased 0.8% to 26,376.98, and the mainland-focused CSI 300 Index gained 0.5% to 4,754.38.
Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings, and Baidu advanced between 1% and 3%.
CNOOC Limited, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemicals, and PetroChina decreased between 2% and 3%.
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