The Hong Kong Stock Exchange isn’t Wall Street, but making it’s elite list of shares means a great deal to Asian investors.

So Lenovo, the world’s No.  2 PC maker, is rightly proud about making the “blue-chip” Hang Seng 50-stock list. Investors are taking notice, too. 

Lenovo stock was added to the elite “blue-chip” stock list of the Hong Kong stock exchange earlier this week, and the move is already paying dividends as shares in the world’s No. 2 PC maker vault to their highest value since 2000.

That value pre-dates Lenovo’s 2005 acquisition of IBM’s PC division.

Lenovo shares hit a high of $8.87 in Hong Kong dollars Thursday, the best since $8.93 on Aug. 1, 2000, the South China Morning Post reports. Driven by continuing strong growth in profits and revenues, Lenovo shares had been surging ahead of the list news, hitting $8.53 in Hong Kong dollars last week. (HK dollars traded at 13 U.S. cents as of early Friday.)

Shares were trading down a bit Friday at $8.72 HKD.

“Gaining ‘blue-chip’ status in Hong Kong is significant because it will help broaden the number of shareholders who may consider owning the stock,” the Post noted. 

In a press release, Lenovo showed a lot of pride, saying the decision “represents significant market recognition of Lenovo’s leadership position in the global IT industry.”

The company says Hang Seng inclusion “also significant because it broadens the group of shareholders that will consider owning Lenovo’s stock to include funds whose investments must mirror the Hang Seng Index or pension funds whose investment committees look for index inclusion as an investment criterion. Finally it reflects recognition from a respected 3rd party of Lenovo’s strong, consistent financial performance, outstanding management and its strong future growth prospects.”

And Lenovo hasn’t even officially hit the Hang Seng. That happens March 4. The index has jumped nearly 10 percent in value since Nov. 16.

Lenovo trades under the symbol HKSE: 992. (Lenovo’s Investor Relations page provides data daily.)

Lenovo shares also can be bought Over the Counter or so-called Pink Sheets. (MarketWatch also tracks Lenovo shares.)

“We are very pleased today that Lenovo has been included as one of the constituent stocks of Hang Seng Index,” said Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo’s chairman and chief executive officer, when the decision was announced. “This news comes following another record quarter reported last week, that demonstrated Lenovo’s ability to consistently drive growth, improve profitability and establish itself as one of the leading global technology companies. Not only have we become a global PC market leader, but we are also now recognized as a leading innovator defining the PC Plus era.”

[LENOVO ARCHIVE: Check out eight years of Lenovo stories as reported in WRAL Tech Wire.]