- Shanghai stocks flat, blue-chip CSI300 index ends higher.
- Consumer firms jump on strong northbound flows.
- Yuan weakens to 10-day low as markets await LPR fixing.
SHANGHAI, July 19 (Reuters) - China's blue-chip stock index ended higher on Monday, recouping earlier losses, boosted by healthcare and consumer firms and inflows through the Stock Connect scheme. ** At the close, the blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.37%, after falling as much as 0.93%. The Shanghai Composite index was little-changed at 3,539.12.
Healthcare firms were the biggest boost to the CSI300, with a sub-index tracking the sector up 2.27% on the day. The consumer staples sector gained 0.3%, and the consumer discretionary index rose 1.32%.
Foreign investors were net buyers, with Refinitiv data showing inflows of 7.74 billion yuan ($1.19 billion) into Chinese A-shares through the Northbound leg of the Stock Connect scheme through Hong Kong.
The smaller Shenzhen index ended down 0.18% and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index rose 0.49%.
Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was 1.28% weaker, while Japan's Nikkei index ended down 1.25%.
At 07:02, the yuan was quoted at 6.4829 per U.S. dollar, 0.07% weaker than the previous close of 6.4786. The currency hit a 10-day low against the dollar on Monday as investors await the monthly fixing of China's benchmark loan prime rate fixing.
So far this year, the Shanghai stock index is up 1.9% and the CSI300 has fallen 1.9%, while China's H-share index listed in Hong Kong is down 7.1%. Shanghai stocks have declined 1.45% this month.
($1 = 6.4788 Chinese yuan)
(Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; editing by Vinay Dwivedi)