China shares hover near 7-year highs

Investors look through stock information at a trading hall of a securities firm in Shanghai, east China, March 18, 2015. Chinese shares consolidated near seven-year highs on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 2.13 percent to finish at 3,577.30 points. The Shenzhen Component Index went up 2.68 percent to close at 12,496.24 points. (Xinhua/Pei Xin)

Chinese shares consolidated near seven-year highs on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 2.13 percent to finish at 3,577.30 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index went up 2.68 percent to close at 12,496.24 points.

Combined turnover on the two bourses amounted to 1.12 trillion yuan (182 billion U.S. dollars), flat from the previous session's level.

Nearly 100 stocks on the two market jumped by the daily limit of 10 percent, with big gainers including steel, bank and railway shares.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 2.13 percent to end at a new high of 2,182.92 points.