Fewer lock-up shares eligible for trade

BEIJING - Some 2.133 billion locked shares will become eligible for trading on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges this week, down from 3.024 billion shares unlocked last week.

The unlocked shares are worth about 28.82 billion yuan ($4.37 billion), according to information service provider Wind Info.

Only six companies are set to unlock over 100 million shares.

Under China's market rules, major shareholders must wait one to two years before they are permitted to sell their shares.

Chinese shares ended higher last Friday in a five-day winning streak, as the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index went up 0.14 percent to close at 3,432.67 points while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.79 percent higher at 11,645.05 points.