By Shares of Chinese tech giant Alibaba in Hong Kong were in the spotlight once again on Monday, after Chinese regulators ordered Alibabaaffiliate Ant Group to rectify its businesses. In afternoon trading, shares of Alibaba listed in Hong Kong plunged 7.71, adding to losses for the firm. The stock had also dived last Thursday following reports that Chinese regulators will probe the tech behemoth for suspected monopolistic behavior.
Shares of other Hong Konglisted Chinese tech firms also declined Tencent fell 4.77 while Meituan slipped 5.52. Chinas largest chipmaker SMIC also saw its stock in Hong Kong drop 4.41. The broader Hang Seng Tech index shed 3.93.
Stocks in Asia were mixed on Monday as the final trading week of 2020 kicked off. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.74 to close at 26,854.03 while the Topix index advanced 0.54 to finish its trading day at 1,788.04. South Koreas Kospi closed fractionally higher at 2,808.60. Mainland Chinese stocks were mixed the Shanghai composite dipped slightly while the Shenzhen component gained 0.137. Hong Kongs Hang Seng index declined 0.19.
MSCIs broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan rose 0.21. Profits at Chinese industrial firms in November rose 15.5 as compared with a year earlier, according to data released by the countrys National Bureau of Statistics over the weekend. Markets in Australia and New Zealand are closed on Monday for a holiday. In coronavirus developments, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a Covid…
