A-share markets extend gains on Thursday

China’s A-share markets extended gains on Thursday with most sectors posting strong performances.

Markets opened lower, but investors became more enthusiastic during afternoon trading. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed almost flat, up 0.31 percent to finish at 2,819.14 points.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index inched up 0.51 percent to close at around 10,470.79, while the ChiNext Index jumped 1.56 percent to finish at 2,008.39 points.

The combined turnover of the two bourses came to 594.9 billion yuan (US$84billion), compared with the previous trading day’s 641 billion yuan.

Across the board, most industries gained. Bolstered by media reports that Suzhou in Jiangsu Province will welcome the first application scenarios for the digital currency introduced by the People's Bank of China, 15 digital currency related companies saw their shares rise by the daily cap of 10 percent.

In March, home prices recovered at a faster pace in all-tier cities across China, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Analysts believe the property sector will continue to play a significant role in supporting the country’s economy.