China stocks ended mixed for the week, with the blue-chip index closing at an 19-month high, while start-ups had their worst week since last July, as investors sought firms with solid fundamentals amid an extended correction in small-caps. The blue-chip CSI300 index rose 0.4 percent, to 3,703.09 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.1 percent to 3,222.42 points. The tech-heavy start-up board index ChiNext slumped 4.9 percent to post its worst week since July 2016, as lacklustre first-half earnings forecasts deepened worries over their growth prospects. Investors are increasingly ditching speculative trading, and putting money in firms that generate predictable incomes. For the week, bank stocks far outperformed the broader market, advancing 5.1 percent, thanks to improved profitability in those lenders amid largely stable economic growth.

Source: dna July 14, 2017 07:18 UTC