[ET Net News Agency, 14 April 2026] Prospects for Iran-US negotiations have risen again.
Although US President Donald Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked, he
later mentioned during overnight trading that Iran had called the US expressing a desire
to reach an agreement, restoring market confidence. Meanwhile, Vice President Vance stated
that the US has achieved its goals and can begin to wind down the matter. US stocks turned
positive after an initial dip overnight, and Asian markets rebounded significantly. Hong
Kong stocks followed suit, reaching a high of 25,995, though strong resistance was seen at
the 26,000 psychological level. Coupled with an expanding decline in CATL (03750) due to
news of a share placement, the HSI saw its gains narrow quickly by midday. The HSI closed
the morning session at 25,770, up 109 points or 0.4%, with main board turnover exceeding
HKD 121.4 billion. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index stood at 8,627, up 25 points or
0.3%. The Hang Seng Tech Index stood at 4,830, up 8 points or 0.2%.
"Lee Wai Kit: If oil prices drop below USD 95, HSI expected to break 26,100 resistance"
It is reported that Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey continue to arrange Iran-US talks, with
the next round of peace talks potentially scheduled for this Thursday (16 Apr).
International oil prices have fallen below 100 dollars. Lee Wai Kit, a financial
commentator of TF International, told ET Net News Agency that the market currently holds a
positive view on the international situation. Although the market does not expect
negotiations to yield immediate results, the participation of multiple countries in
mediating the Iran-US conflict is conducive to advancing the peace talks. Hong Kong stocks
also rose as international oil prices pulled back. He believes the HSI will currently
maintain a range between 25,200 and 26,100 points. If international oil prices have a
chance to fall below USD 95, the HSI is expected to break the 26,100 point resistance
level, though whether it can stabilise depends on the progress of negotiations.
Regarding positioning, Lee stated that AI and AI equipment stocks have recently been
preferred by the market, with high capital activity in shares such as Knowledge Atlas
(02513) and MiniMax (00100). Since AI equipment is indispensable for AI development, the
performance of AI equipment stocks has followed closely. For instance, KB Laminates
(01888) recently saw a V-shaped rebound to break its peak, reaching HKD 26.5 today, a
record high since its listing. Lee believes positioning can be considered when the share
price pulls back to the HKD 22 level.
"Watch sporting goods stocks ahead of World Cup, optimistic on ANTA and Li Ning"
Earlier, several sporting goods companies announced results that slightly disappointed
the market. For example, ANTA (02020) saw last year's profit drop by 1%, Shenzhou (02313)
net profit fell by 7%, and Li Ning (02331) earned about 3% less. BOC recently released a
research report on sporting goods stocks, downgrading the rating to neutral based on
higher downside risks and warning that earnings visibility for sports footwear and apparel
companies will decrease significantly.
Lee believes that although the sporting goods market previously underperformed, the
market is expected to recover driven by efforts to boost retail consumption in Mainland
China and the World Cup in the second half of the year. Among them, shares with high brand
value such as ANTA (02020) and Li Ning (02331) are expected to benefit more. He added that
ANTA's earlier acquisition of Puma makes its future development worth watching, suggesting
a quarterly outlook for positioning. ANTA can be positioned at around the HKD 81 level. As
for Li Ning, Lee suggests buying near HKD 22, expressing confidence that Li Ning will
break the HKD 23 resistance level in the future.