Hong Kong - Hong Kong stocks rose 1.9 per cent Friday, tracking gains on overseas markets.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended the week at 24,667 after gaining 480 points. Turnover was a relatively light 77 billion Hong Kong dollars (9.8 billion US dollars).

Analysts said the market had also gotten a boost from favourable earnings reports in the Chinese banking sector. However they warned that continued worries about a recession would keep investors cautious in the weeks ahead.