** China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index edged down 0.18%, while the Shanghai Composite Index slid 0.24% to be on track for a fifth day of decline.
** Hang Seng Index dropped 0.69%, while Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 0.94%.
** China's economic performance has improved in March from
the first two months and the country will expand domestic demand
and consolidate its economic recovery, Premier Li Qiang said on
Thursday at an economic forum in Boao.
** Alibaba Group said on Thursday it will look to
monetise non-core assets and consider giving up control of some
businesses.
** Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the company's breakup into
separate businesses will allow its units to become more agile
and eventually list on their own.
** Shares of Alibaba in Hong Kong opened up 2.7% following
the 12% jump on Wednesday, but gains narrowed to 0.9% in midday.
** Linus Yip, chief strategist at First Shanghai Securities,
said easing market concerns on banking crisis and Alibaba's news
have helped Hong Kong stocks rebound recently.
** "But shares in Hong Kong are likely to remain range-bound
as U.S. interest rate outlook uncertainties continue to weigh
and as investors eye upcoming domestic data to assess whether
the economic recovery has sustained," Yip said.
** China will announce the March official purchasing
managers' index (PMI) on Friday.
** Pro-business policy signals have certainly come through
loud and clear — Beijing intensified its charm offensive as the
new cabinet took office in March, Morgan Stanley analysts said
in a note.
** Hong Kong's Hang Seng Tech Index went down 1.1%. Tencent dropped 0.9%.
** In China A-shares, telecom stocks retreated 2.3%, while education companies fell 1.1% to lead the decline. (Reporting by Summer Zhen; editing by Uttaresh Venkateshwaran)
