HK stocks end up 0.71 percent

Hong Kong shares ended higher on Wednesday, with the weighted index rising 155.42 points, or 0.71 percent, at 22,099.85. The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 21,811.19 and 22, 099.85. Turnover totaled 64.04 billion HK dollars (about 8.26 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index added 78.92 points, or 0. 74 percent, to close at 10,813.34. All the four sub-indices gained ground. The Properties sub- index was the biggest gainer, rising 1.05 percent, followed by the Commerce & Industry, rising 0.80 percent, the Finance, 0.64 percent, the Utilities, 0.01 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, added 0.39 percent to close at 77 HK dollars, and its local unit Hang Seng Bank went up 0.34 percent at 119.5 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, rose 0. 34 percent to 29.65 HK dollars. Mainland-based financial stocks also gained. China Construction Bank, the country's second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, added 1.18 percent to 5.99 HK dollars. ICBC,The world's largest bank by market value, gained 1.17 percent to 5.21 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, moved up 1.60 percent to 5.7 HK dollars. Bank of China rose 0.62 percent to 3.25 HK dollars. As for local developers, Hang Lung Properties gained 1.81 percent to 28.15 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, went up 0.18 percent to 55.05 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, rose 0.52 percent to 116.1 HK dollars. China's top refiner Sinopec added 1.34 percent to 8.33 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went up 1.14 percent to 10.68 HK dollars. Esprit Hldgs was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 5.52 percent to 11.48 HK dollars. Want Want China was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares falling 2.97 percent to 11.1 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.75 HK dollars)