China stocks end up 0.4 pct, rise for 7th session

SHANGHAI, Nov 9 (Reuters) - China's key stock index edged up 0.36 percent on Monday, rising for a seventh session in a row to a three-month closing high, with power and steel shares strong as the market was boosted by expectations of strong economic data for October.

The Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC ended at 3,175.585 points, after posting its best weekly rise in more than three months last week.

Gaining Shanghai A shares outnumbered losers by 553 to 324, although turnover sank to 158 billion yuan ($23.15 billion) from Friday's 181 billion yuan.

Wen Lijun, analyst at Nanjing Securities, said investors were expecting upbeat economic data for October, with several key numbers due for release on Wednesday.

China's money supply and lending growth are expected to have maintained a rapid pace last month as Beijing held to its loose monetary policy stance, according to a Reuters poll. [ID:nSP458045]

Central bank adviser Fan Gang told Reuters late on Friday that China's economy had stabilised and was on track to achieve growth of 8 percent next year but Beijing would stick to its loose fiscal and monetary policies for now. [ID:nSGN002268] ($1=6.826 Yuan) (Reporting by Claire Zhang and Edmund Klamann)