HK stocks end slightly lower

Hong Kong stocks fell 0.09 percent on Thursday with the benchmark Hang Seng index down 21.10 points to end at 22,249.81 points after trading between 22,215.08 and 22,355.89. Turnover totaled 62.58 billion HK dollars (about 8. 07 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 35.03 points, or 0. 32 percent, to close at 10,865.07. Three sub-indices lost ground, with the Utility sub-indice falling the most by 0.33 percent, followed by the Finance 0.16 percent and the Commerce and Industry 0.10 percent. The Properties rose 0.32 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 0.5 percent to 79.60 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank ended 0.2 percent higher at 119.00 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, closed 0.5 percent lower to 30.20 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX added 0.2 percent to 127.10 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties increased 0.2 percent to 29.25 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, gained 1.1 percent to 55.80 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, closed up 0.1 percent to 118.60 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, moved up 0.3 percent at 6.09 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, slid 0.2 percent at 5.29 HK dollars. Bank of China closed flat at 3.30 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, rose 0.2 percent to 5.76 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec advanced 0.5 percent to 8.42 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went up 0.8 percent to 10.64 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.751 HK dollars)