** Shares of China's largest bubble tea and drinks chain Mixue Group 2097.HK trade as high as HK$287.2 each in Hong Kong debut, 41.8% above their offer price
** Stock last traded HK$283.6, still up 40%, outpacing a 1.2% rise in the benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI
** Stock is sixth most actively traded by turnover
** Mixue sold 17 mln shares at HK$202.5 apiece in an initial public offering $(IPO.UK)$ in Hong Kong, raising $444 mln to expand production capacity in China, among others
** Retail investors subscribed for 5,258 times more shares than were on offer in that tranche, making it one of Hong Kong's most popular ever IPOs, while the institutional tranche was 35 times covered
** Mixue has grown into a franchise giant with over 45,000 stores globally by September 2024, surpassing Starbucks' 40,576 stores worldwide
** Hang Seng Commerce & Industry Index .HSNC climbs 1.5%, Hang Seng Consumption Index .HSCGSI surges 1.9%
(Reporting by Donny Kwok)
((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com))
