HK shares soar as banks and refiners advance

HONG KONG, July 17 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares jumped 2.4 percent on Thursday, with financial and energy stocks leading the rally after a big U.S. bank posted surprisingly strong results and oil prices fell further.

Financial stocks rose after Wells Fargo (WFC.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the No. 5 U.S. bank, reported earnings that beat analyst estimates, sending shares in heavyweight HSBC (0005.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) 3.7 percent higher and lifting ICBC (1398.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) 2.4 percent.

The Hang Seng Index .HSI unofficially closed up 518.24 points at 21,741.74.

The China Enterprises Index .HSCE of top locally listed Chinese companies rose 2.85 percent, but concern over high Chinese inflation and slowing economic growth brought stocks off early highs. (Reporting by Judy Hua; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree)