HONG KONG, April 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares look set to open higher on Monday, tracking Wall Street gains on Friday after the U.S. announced strong job growth.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed Friday up 1.2 percent at 23,801.9, gaining 2.8 percent last week week as Asian stocks outside Japan rose to the highest in nearly three years.
Monday trading volumes could be modest ahead of a holiday on Tuesday and with markets in China closed on Monday and Tuesday for a holiday.
Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened up 0.7 percent at 9,773.91, while the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) opened up 0.16 percent at 2,124.37 points.
HOT STOCKS * China's Minmetals Resources Ltd has already submitted an application to Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board for its $6.5 billion bid for Equinox Minerals and expects to receive approval in time for its bid to go ahead in mid-2011, Chief Executive Andrew Michelmore said on Monday. [ID:nL3E7F30DS] * Chinese coking coal logistics company Winsway Coking Coal Holdings Ltd said on Sunday it would issue $500 million in senior notes due in 2016 to boost its coal transport business and invest in coal producing assets. [ID:nL3E7F3056] * General Motors , the largest overseas automaker in China operating manufacturing ventures in the country with SAIC Motor Corp and FAW Group, said on Saturday it sold 685,583 vehicles in China in the first quarter, up 10 percent from a year earlier. [ID:nL3E7F1135] * Mobile equipment giant Ericcson will sue state-owned Chinese telecom company ZTE after accusing it of infringing on its patents, the Financial Times reported. [ID:nL3E7F201F] * Hui Xian REIT, the property flagship controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd , has secured regulatory clearance to launch Hong Kong's first yuan-denominated stock offering, IFR reported late on Friday. [ID:nL3E7F200Z] * PetroChina Co Ltd is slated to start supplying gas from its first liquefied natural gas receiving terminal in eastern China near the end of June, after running its first two cargoes of the super-chilled natural gas. [ID:nL3E7F11DH] * Metallurgical Corp of China Ltd (MCC) , a building and engineering company, expects its Aynak copper mine in Afghanistan to start production in 2014, a company executive said on Friday. [ID:nH9E7ES040] * Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) , China's No.5 lender, aims to double its profit and assets in five years helped by the country's steady economic growth, its chairman said on Friday. [ID:nL3E7F1149] * Hunan Nonferrous Metals Corp Ltd said on Sunday it planned to make offers to buy all shares of its 74.28 percent owned Abra Mining Ltd not already owned by the company at A$0.40 per share. The bids imply a market capitalisation of Abra of $57.45 million. For statement click http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20110403/LTN20110403065.pdf * United Company Rusal Plc said on Monday the book with respect to the second tranche of the issue of RUR15 billion was expected to close on April 14, and the initial marketing coupon range was envisaged at 8.7-9.0 percent annually. For statement click http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20110404/LTN20110404033.pdf * SPG Land (Holdings) Ltd plans to issue $200 million 13.5 percent senior notes due 2016, raising capital for repayment of certain offshore loans and general corporate purposes. For statement click http://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20110404/LTN20110404031.pdf * Chinese property developer Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd said its contracted sales amounted to about 9.3 billion yuan for the first quarter of 2011, up 45 percent from a year ago period.
MARKET SUMMARY * Wall St gains on job growth; earnings next hurdle * U.S. rates markets will focus on ECB decision * Dollar may struggle as ECB, Fed policies diverge * Oil rises to 2-1/2 peak on job rise, supply fear (Reporting by Clement Tan and Donny Kwok; Editing by Chris Lewis)
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