Hang Seng Index tracks Wall Street gains with midday rise

The Hang Seng Index climbed higher by noon on Tuesday, following a rally on Wall Street overnight. The benchmark index added 188 points, or 0.8%, reaching 24,228 points by midday. The half-day trading volume totaled HK$54 billion.

The Hang Seng Tech Index also saw gains, rising 0.9% to 4,220 points at noon.

Meanwhile, spot gold slipped 0.3% to US$4,128.83 per ounce by 0400 GMT, while US gold futures remained nearly unchanged at US$4,155.90.

The US dollar held firm, which made dollar-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies. Among other metals, spot silver fell 0.6% to US$60.69, platinum lost 0.5% to US$1,712.20, and palladium eased 0.5% to US$1,166.86.