Hong Kong-Shanghai market linkup launches

Foreign investment in mainland Chinese companies had already hit the daily quota of US$2.1 billion allotted by the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect early in the afternoon of the trading link’s first day of operations, The Wall Street Journal reported. However, mainland investors were less interested in buying shares listed in Hong Kong, with only 17% of their US$1.7 billion quota filled at the end of the trading day. Global traders bet on well-known Chinese brands that were previously inaccessible to foreign investors and stand to benefit from the rise in consumer spending in China.