Chinese shares close higher Thursday

Chinese stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.25 percent to 3,876.78 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.44 percent higher at 14,123.31 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by these two indices stood at 2.21 trillion yuan (about 325 billion U.S. dollars), down from 2.65 trillion yuan in the previous trading day.

Stocks related to lithium battery and electrical power grid led the gains, while those related to semiconductor were among the top decliners.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.25 percent to close at 3,575.52 points. The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 2.6 percent lower at 1,961.72 points on Thursday.

Chinese shares close higher Thursday

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 2.6 percent lower at 1,961.72 points on Thursday.

The STAR 50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest stocks listed on the board that also meet certain liquidity requirements, closed 3.78 percent lower at 1,789.69 points.

The sci-tech innovation board, commonly known as the STAR Market, was inaugurated in June 2019 at Shanghai Stock Exchange. It is designed to support companies in the high-tech and strategic emerging sectors.

China's STAR Composite Index closes lower Thursday