Hong Kong shares inch higher, China slips after tepid economic data

China shares were on track for a third straight daily loss on Monday, led by the banking sector after patchy economic data over the weekend raised doubts that earnings will recover for Chinese companies.

But a flight to earnings safety pushed up Hong Kong shares, which hovered nearly a three-week high touched early on Monday. A main factor Asia’s third-largest insurer AIA, which climbed 2.5 per cent to a record high. Last month, it posted 2012 earnings that beat expectation.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/stock-talk/article/1188278/hong-kong-shares-inch-higher-china-slips-after-tepid