(Yicai Global) Oct. 21 -- Insurance and bank stocks helped Chinese markets recover lost ground this morning after shares in securities firms dragged down the country's main benchmark indexes.

The Shanghai Composite Index ended the morning session almost on par with yesterday's close at 2,937.88, while the Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.22 percent to 9,554.72. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises listed in Shenzhen, closed down 0.23 percent at 1,644.77.