Mar 2026 , Hong Kong’s shipping industry reached a pivotal moment in its green transition: Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply, a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Group, together with Sinopec Hong Kong and CMG RoRo, successfully completed Hong Kong’s first green methanol bunkering operation , while also setting a national first record for green methanol bunkering at anchorage , marking Hong Kong’s official entry into a new stage of bunkering green alternative marine fuels. The operation was carried out throughout by the “Daqing 268” vessel , independently operated by Sinopec CNOOC Fuel Supply. The vessel was China’s first methanol dual-fuel powered bunkering ship for both oil products and chemicals, featuring advanced technical performance and independently controllable core equipment. Its propulsion system achieved 100% localisation and adopted a dual-fuel drive mode using methanol and conventional fuels. The vessel is 109.9 meters in length, has a deadweight of 7,500 mt, and a total tank capacity of 10,362 m³. It can transport and bunker multiple clean energy products, including methanol, biodiesel, and fuel oil, meeting the needs of multiple batches and multiple bunkering standards. It is also legally qualified to operate on Hong Kong and Macao routes, making it a critical link in green shipping services connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The successful completion of the first bunkering operation through the coordination of multiple central state-owned enterprises fully demonstrated their collaborative strength in the field of green shipping. It not only aligned with the Hong Kong SAR Government’s green shipping plans, but also laid a solid foundation for the future normalised development of green methanol bunkering business between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macao.

Gold is a widely known safe-haven asset and tends to benefit during geopolitical turmoil, but the metal has remained largely range-bound amid the latest Middle East conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

China’s net gold imports via Hong Kong in January rose by 68.7% from December, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department data showed on Friday.

Hong Kong is accelerating its drive to become a global gold trading hub, in a move that supports China’s broader ambition to strengthen its influence over international bullion markets amid a shifting geopolitical landscape and record-high prices.

Today, the three major indices of Hong Kong stocks extended their gains. By the close, the Hang Seng Index rose 1.07% to close at 23,906.97 points; the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 1.93% to close at 5,319.96 points; and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index gained 1.26% to close at 8,684.73 points. Note: Performance of the Hang Seng Index Notably, the Hang Seng Index has risen for three consecutive days. The Hang Seng Tech Index has followed a similar trend over the same period. Today's Market In terms of market performance, individual stocks in the semiconductor and real estate sectors strengthened, while those in the pharmaceutical, tea beverage, and shipping sectors weakened. Semiconductor Stocks Lead the Market By the close, Hongguang Semiconductor (06908.HK), Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347.HK), and SMIC (00981.HK) rose 10.87%, 4.23%, and 4.19%, respectively. Note: Performance of semiconductor stocks In terms of news, the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) released a report stating that the global semiconductor market size will reach $700.9 billion in 2025, up 11.2% YoY. In terms of market segments, the growth in the semiconductor market this year will be led by increases in logic and memory: both markets are driven by sustained demand in areas such as AI, cloud infrastructure, and advanced consumer electronics, with double-digit YoY growth rates. Policies Continue to Stimulate Real Estate Stocks By the close, Midea Real Estate (03990.HK), China Resources Land (01109.HK), and China Overseas Land & Investment (00688.HK) rose 4.38%, 3.56%, and 1.69%, respectively. Note: Performance of real estate stocks China Index Academy stated in an article that the total bond financing of national real estate enterprises in May was 28.88 billion yuan, up 23.5% YoY. In terms of financing structure, corporate bond financing in the real estate sector was 11.17 billion yuan in May, up 5.8% YoY, accounting for 38.7%; ABS financing was 17.71 billion yuan, up 38.1% YoY, accounting for 61.3%. The average interest rate for bond financing was 2.35%, down 0.43 percentage points YoY and 0.41 percentage points MoM. China Galaxy Securities analyzed that the continuous optimization of the policy environment has driven the recovery of financing for real estate enterprises. The premium transactions of high-quality land plots in core cities indicate a restoration of market confidence, and there is significant room for valuation recovery for real estate enterprises with high-quality land reserves. Most Pharmaceutical Stocks Adjusted By the close, SinoMab BioScience (03681.HK), Harbour BioMed (02142.HK), and Giant Biogene Holding (02367.HK) fell 17.19%, 9.83%, and 8.70%, respectively. Note: Performance of pharmaceutical stocks In terms of news, this adjustment was mainly influenced by profit-taking. Taking SinoMab BioScience as an example, the stock has risen by more than 110% over the past four trading days. Soochow Securities has cautioned that after the rapid rise of the innovative drug sector, attention should be paid to the valuation match, and it is recommended to focus on enterprises with international BD capabilities and commercialization implementation. Tea beverage stocks retreat after hitting new highs By the close of trading, Gu Ming (01364.HK), Mixue Group (02097.HK), and Cha Baidao (02555.HK) fell by 7.97%, 7.72%, and 7.72%, respectively. Note: Performance of tea beverage stocks In terms of news, analysts from Everbright Securities International stated that the valuations of some consumer stocks have already factored in growth expectations, and it is necessary to pay attention to the validation of same-store sales data in Q2. It is recommended to differentiate and treat targets with the ability to continuously expand stores. Other new consumer stocks also weaken simultaneously Laopu Gold (06181.HK), Maogeping (01318.HK), and Blukoo (00325.HK), which are also new consumer stocks listed in Hong Kong, also experienced adjustments, falling by 9.05%, 6.67%, and 3.64%, respectively. Taking Laopu Gold as an example, the market is concerned about the liquidity pressure brought by the lifting of the 69.05 million share lock-up at the end of June. In addition, the stock has accumulated a gain of 212% year-to-date. Individual stock movements Dongfeng Motor's H-shares plummet over 14%; controlling shareholder clarifies no restructuring plans for now Dongfeng Motor Group (00489.HK) fell by 14.45% to close at HK$3.61. According to an announcement in the morning, the controlling shareholder stated that it is currently not involved in any business restructuring. Xindong Games surges over 8% during trading; "Etheria" international server launches today Xindong Games (02400.HK) rose by 8.25% to close at HK$40. In terms of news, the strategy turn-based RPG mobile game "Etheria" developed by Xindong Games will officially launch its international server on June 5. Kaiyuan Securities believes that following the impressive performances of "Muffin Adventure" and "Xindong Town," which were launched in 2024, the launch of "Etheria" may further drive Xindong Games' earnings growth. Citi previously pointed out that the company may have more catalysts in H2, namely the launch of "Etheria" in mid-year and the overseas version of "Xindong Town" in H2. JL MAG Rare-Earth's H-shares surge over 12%; China's rare earth export controls trigger sharp jump in overseas rare earth prices JL MAG Rare-Earth (06680.HK) rose by 12.13% to close at HK$18.86. In terms of news, affected by China's rare earth export controls, overseas medium-heavy rare earth prices jumped by 15% in a single week. Guotai Junan Securities expects that the widening price spread between domestic and overseas markets will drive profit improvements for rare earth permanent magnet enterprises, with enterprises possessing overseas channel advantages benefiting significantly.

S&P Global released a report on May 4 showing that the S&P Global Hong Kong SAR PMI edged down to 52.4 from 53.5 in April