Hong Kong: Stocks open higher on Thursday after dovish Fed comments

[HONG KONG] Hong Kong stocks opened higher on Thursday after Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell said the US economic recovery had a way to go before the central bank would consider tapering its stimulus.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.31 per cent, or 86.04 points, to 27,873.50 in the first minutes of trade.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.31 per cent, or 11.09 points, to 3,517.41, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange fell 0.44 per cent, or 10.77 points, to 2,459.390, with investors awaiting Chinese GDP and other key economic data due later in the day.