File photo: VCG

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Major Chinese stock indices ended higher Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.99 percent, at 2,958.20 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.73 percent higher at 9,802.33 points.

The combined trading volume of stocks in the two indexes expanded to 434.88 billion yuan (about 61.74 billion U.S. dollars) from 451.11 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Most stocks rose, with gainers outnumbering losers by 1,145 to 279 on the Shanghai bourse and 1,634 to 451 in Shenzhen.

Companies in health care industry saw robust growth in its share price, with shares of Top Choice Medical Investment Co. Inc. gaining 6.14 percent to 105.50 yuan per share.

Companies related to agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry led the losses.

The ChiNext Index, China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.94 percent to close at 1,687.00 points.