Index futures likely to debut in March

Investors can profit from stock falls, hedge risks with contracts

Equities rose yesterday following reports that the regulator would introduce futures contracts on the country's stock indexes as early as March, with securities firms recording sharp gains.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.2 percent to close at 3282.18. CITIC Securities gained 4.9 percent to 32.82 yuan while Everbright Securities hit the 10-percent daily trading limit to 27.24 yuan.