China shares rebound to 5-month high

Chinese shares rose Friday to a five-month high on investor enthusiasm about higher liquidity in the economy after the central bank confirmed January bank lending hit a record high.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index jumped 3.2 percent, or 72.7 points, to close at 2320.79, ending the week up 6 percent. The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange climbed 3.6 percent to 749.31.

Analysts said investors' expectations that some of the added liquidity would flow into stocks pushed up prices despite China's economic downturn. The central bank said Thursday that banks lent 1.6 trillion yuan ($237 billion) in January, more than double the …