HONG KONG, (PNA/Xinhua) — Hong Kong stocks ended 0.17 percent lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Hang Seng index falling 39.51 points to end at 22,937.14 points, after trading between 23,120.46 and 22,848.53.
Turnover totaled 70.3 billion HK dollars (about US$ 9.06 billion).
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 60.73 points, or 0.57 percent, to close at 10,636.71.
Two out of four sub-indices lost ground, with both the Commerce & Industry sub-index and the Finance sub-index falling 0.22 percent. The Utility sub-index gained 0.25 percent and the Properties moved up 0.01 percent.
Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, moved down 0.41 percent to 85.55 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 0.24 percent higher at 126 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong’s major bank, lost 0.16 percent at 31.65 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX lost 0.08 percent to 126.9 HK dollars.
Local developers Hang Lung Properties gained 1.06 percent at 26.15 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, decreased 0.53 percent to 47.25 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, ended 0.35 percent higher at 113.6 HK dollars.
As for mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank, the country’s second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, lost 0.66 percent to 6.06 HK dollars.
ICBC, the world’s largest bank by market value, ended flat at 5.49 HK dollars. Bank of China lost 0.84 percent at 3.53 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China’s fifth biggest lender measured by assets, lowered 0.34 percent to 5.81 HK dollars.
PetroChina, the country’s largest oil and gas producer, moved down 2.61 percent at 8.6 HK dollars. (US$ 1 equals 7.76 HK dollars)