Emerging markets advance

Hong Kong: Most emerging-market stocks rose as speculation China and India may loosen monetary policy to bolster their slowing economies overshadowed concerns over a North Korean rocket launch.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index advanced 0.1 per cent to 1,017.15 as of 3.41pm Hong Kong time, with two stocks rising for each that fell. The Shanghai Composite Index rallied 1.8 per cent, while the BSE India Sensitive Index, or Sensex, added 0.8 per cent. South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.4 per cent as trading resumed after a holiday.

Chinese data today may show the economy grew 8.4 per cent in the first quarter, the slowest pace since 2009, according to the median of economists' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. India's statistics office reported yesterday that factory output grew 4.1 per cent in February.