Shanghai - China shares ended narrowly mixed on Thursday after coming off their highest levels this year on optimism over broad economic reforms and investment policies for the nuclear power sector.
The Shanghai Composite Index climbed 01% to 2 345.1 points, its best close since March 2013. The CSI300 of the leading Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listings fell 0.2%.
"The market is divided when the index climbed over 2 350 points as the economy is not that promising after all," said Du Changchun, analyst at Northeast Securities in Shanghai, referring to the Shanghai index, adding that quick rises and falls will be a "new normal" for Chinese stocks for a while.
Profit-taking in brokerages shares - the hottest shares the previous day - dragged the index down. Hong Yuan Securities Co dropped 1.9% and CITIC Securities Company slipped 1.3%.
But strength in nuclear power-related shares limited further falls in the index after the National Development Reform Commission, China's central planning agency, said it planned to start four projects that would produce over 1 000 megawatts of nuclear power in coastal areas.