Financial shares lead market fightback

Financial shares, led by Ping An Insurance and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, fueled the rally in the mainland stock market to end a two-day losing streak.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.38 percent to end at 2379.88 points yesterday after posting its biggest daily percentage drop of 3.8 percent in more than a month the day before.

Shares of Ping An Insurance, the world's second-largest insurer by market value, climbed 5.95 percent yesterday, its largest one-day gain since a 10 percent surge on March 4, boosted by speculations on a new stimulus package from the central government.