Business news for Mon, 24 Dec 2007 & with word composite. 6 news.

SHARES in Shanghai closed higher yesterday for the fourth consecutive session as transactions grew, boosted by investors building up positions in this year's last week of trading in hopes of a bullish 2008. Shares of PetroChina and brokers led the gain in the key index. The Shanghai Composite Index, tracking yuan-denominated A shares and hard currency B chips, jumped 132.48 points, or 2.6 percent, to end at 5,234.26. It was the index's longest winning streak in nearly two months during which the market underwent correction on concerns of overvaluation. The A share barometer rose 2.6 percent while the B share gauge gained 1.32 percent. Transactions soared nearly 40 percent yesterday from last Friday to more than 140 billion yuan (US$19 billion). Gainers outpaced decliners by 641 to 116 with another 116 shares unchanged. "The market is still bullish as the fundamentals haven't changed. The listed firms' growth might be slowing a little but the momentum is still there,"

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks finished higher in Monday's shortened trading session, aided by a flurry of M&A deals that included a $2.7 billion sale by Alcoa Inc. of its packaging and consumer businesses. In preliminary closing figures, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 106 points to 13,555, the S&P 500 Index gained 12 points to end at 1,497 and the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 22 points to 2,713, with shares of Apple Inc. approaching the $200-a share mark. Apple's stock ended up 2.8% at $198.80.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Technology stocks up slightly Monday morning with Microsoft Corp. and newcomer NetSuite Inc. gaining more than 1%. The Nasdaq Composite Index , the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index were up fractionally. The Dow was ahead more than 60 points.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks opened higher Monday, with shares of blue-chip index component Alcoa Inc. up more than 1.6% after the aluminum giant agreed to sell its packaging and consumer businesses for $2.7 billion. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 59 points, or 0.4%, at 13,509.39. The broader S&P 500 Index rose 5 points, or 0.3%, to 1,489.06 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index rose 5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,697.17. Trading will end early, at 1 p.m. Eastern in observance of the Christmas holiday.

SHANGHAI stocks rose for a fourth day today, pushing the index to its highest close in more than a month since November 21. The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks yuan-denominated A shares and hard-currency B shares, jumped 1.37 percent, or 132.48 points, to close at 5,234.26 at 3pm today. The Shanghai index opened at 5,132.91 at 9:30am today, 31.13 points higher than its close at 5,101.78 at 3pm last Friday. Winners in the Shanghai market outnumbered losers 647 to 113 and 86 were unchanged. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which covers the smaller mainland stock market, gained 1.72 percent, or 23.69 points, to 1,399.58. Consumer-related stocks including Suning Appliance Co and Gree Electric Appliances Inc gained after the government said it plans to subsidize farmers' purchases of electrical appliances. Suning Appliances, China's second-biggest home-device retailer, gained 3.76 percent, or 2.47 yuan (34 US cents), to 68.12 yuan. Gree Electric Appliances Inc, China's

DOMESTIC stocks climbed and pushed the Shanghai index to a nine-day high in the morning session today, buoyed by rising blue chips across the board. The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks yuan-denominated A shares and hard-currency B shares, jumped 1.37 percent, or 69.87 points, to 5,171.65 at 11:30am today. The Shanghai index opened at 5,132.91 at 9:30am today, 31.13 points higher than its close at 5,101.78 at 3pm last Friday. Gains in the Shanghai market outnumbered losses 717 to 48 and 81 were unchanged. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which covers the smaller mainland stock market, gained 2.09 percent, or 28.72 points, to 1,404.61. Copper stocks rose thanks to rising copper prices. Tongling Nonferrous Metals, China's biggest copper producer, advanced 1.97 percent, or 0.48 yuan (6 US cents), to 24.82 yuan. Jiangxi Copper Co, the second-biggest, added 3.32 percent, or 1.67 yuan, to 51.99 yuan. Yunnan Copper Industry Co, the third-largest, climbed 2.94 percent, or 1.15