U.S.-listed Chinese firms trade mostly higher

NEW YORK, March 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly higher on Wednesday with seven of the top 10 stocks by weight in the SP U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on an upbeat note.

Shares of NetEast and TAL Education added 3.49 percent and 1.51 percent respectively, leading the advancers in the top 10 stocks of the index.

Shares of New Oriental declined 1.66 percent, the top laggard among the top 10 stocks.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday as investors digested the latest economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 148.23 points, or 0.58 percent, to 25,702.89. The SP 500 increased 19.40 points, or 0.69 percent, to 2,810.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 52.37 points, or 0.69 percent, to 7,643.40.

As of Tuesday, the SP U.S. Listed China 50 index stood at 2,766.80, marking a 1.17-percent increase for the month-to-date returns and a 20.75-percent gain for the year-to-date returns.