Mainland stock exchanges see slight gains from positive data

Stocks in the Chinese mainland eked out gains on Monday after better-than-expected economic data over the weekend.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index inched up 3.37 points or 0.16 percent to close at 2,109.47 points on Monday. The Shenzhen Component Index rose by 13.28 points or 0.16 percent to 8,168.67 points.

Combined turnover on the two bourses on Monday was 126.7 billion yuan ($20.80 billion), declining from Friday's 146.2 billion yuan.

Inflation in October rose by 3.2 percent year-on-year, the highest increase since February, but was still below the government's full-year target of 3.5 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Saturday.

Industrial output rose 10.3 percent in October, indicating that the world's second-largest economy is picking up, while October's retail sales grew 13.3 percent, according to the NBS.

Stocks in liquor manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies rose on Monday. Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co increased by the daily limit of 10 percent to 12.51 yuan on Monday while Sichuan Tuopai Shede Wine Co jumped 7.26 percent to 14.77 yuan.

Meanwhile, stocks linked to the Shanghai (Pilot) Free Trade Zone fell on Monday. Y.U.D Yangtze River Investment Industry, Shanghai Material Trading Co and Orient International Enterprise all fell by the daily limit of 10 percent.

Stocks related to land reform also slid, with the country's biggest developer China Vanke Co dropping 1.80 percent to 8.71 yuan and Poly Real Estate Group Co falling by 2.19 percent to 8.94 yuan.

The fall in shares related to the trade zone and real estate came after market disappointment over information released so far about the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, according to a research note sent by Shenyin & Wanguo Securities Co on Monday.

ChiNext, China's NASDAQ-style board for high-tech and fast-growing start-ups listed in Shenzhen, rose 1.58 points or 0.13 percent to close at 1,212.69 points on Monday.