LAOPU GOLD (06181) shares climbed more than 8% in Hong Kong trading, reaching 382 Hong Kong dollars with a transaction volume of 894 million Hong Kong dollars, as the precious metal rallied sharply.

Gold prices broke decisively from their two-month consolidation range, propelled by a series of weak U.S. labor market data. The yellow metal surged nearly $300 over the week, marking its strongest weekly performance since January. Adding to the bullish sentiment, the People's Bank of China purchased 19.9 tonnes of gold in July, a significant increase from 14.9 tonnes in the previous month, further bolstering market confidence.

Morgan Stanley analysts noted that gold prices have shown initial signs of stabilization in the third quarter, with some of LAOPU GOLD's stores already seeing queues forming again in early August. Shenwan Hongyuan Securities pointed out that the third quarter's Qixi Festival and the fourth quarter's Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day holiday, and year-end period are traditionally peak consumption seasons for the industry. With gold prices stabilizing, the previously pent-up demand from cautious buyers is expected to gradually return to the market. In the medium term, the optimization of existing domestic stores toward prime floor locations and street-front positions is progressing, with first- and second-tier cities nearing completion of location upgrades. The company's overseas expansion, starting with its first store in Singapore, is steadily advancing into Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Middle East markets, leaving the growth narrative of channel expansion and brand internationalization unchanged.