18 hours ago

Investors and traders in China's main financial district in Shanghai were taking about the following before the start of trade today:

Shanghai's main index eked out a 6.9 point gain yesterday, led by coal stocks after the government said it would reorganize the industry and promote mergers. China Shenhua, the country's largest coal producer, rose 0.5% in Shanghai yesterday. Shares in US-listed Yanzhou Coal lost 1.1% last night amid a 0.7 % fall in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, whose shares trade in Hong Kong and Shanghai, said first-half net profit rose 28% to 8.5 billion yuan. Revenue gained 2.5% to 181.7 billion yuan State oil giant Petrochina said first-half net profit rose 29% in the first half of the year to 65 billion yuan. Revenue totaled 685 billion yuan, up 65%. US-traded shares fell 0.2% overnight. Shanghai International Airport, benefiting from a surge in traffic in connection with the Shanghai Expo, said net profit jumped 112% to 550 million yuan in the first half. Revenue rose to 19 billion yuan, an increase of 22.5% from a year earlier. China United Network Communication, whose shares trade in Shanghai , said first-half revenue rose 7.6% to 84.4 billion yuan. Net profit was 828.5 million yuan, a decline of 62% from the first half of past year. Qingdao Haier, the big appliance maker, said revenue 29.7 billion yuan up 39.48% ; net profit 1.08 billion yuan up 51.8% Tibet Cheezheng Tibetan Medicine, whose chairman Lei Jufang was a member of our Forbes Billionaires List with wealth of $ 1.1 billion in March, said first-half revenue totaled 230 million yuan, an increase of 16.5% from a year earlier. Net profit rose by 5% to 82 million yuan during the period. Four companies will list in China today: - Zhejiang Sunflower Light Energy Science