Hong Kong stocks close 0.12% lower

Hong Kong stocks fell 26.65 points, or 0.12 percent to close at 21,345.22 points on Thursday. The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 21,445.15 and 21,288.58. Turnover totaled 45.78 billion HK dollars (about 5.9 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index added 11.22 points, or 0.12 percent, to close at 9,492.07. All four sub-indices lost ground, with the Utilities sub-indice falling the most at 0.49 percent, followed by the Properties at 0.18 percent, the Finance at 0.11 percent, and the Commerce & Industry at 0.08 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, added 0.23 percent to 85.70 HK dollars. Its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 0.77 percent lower at 116 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank dropped 0.54 percent at 27.80 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX fell 0.74 percent to 120.60 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties was up 0.2 percent at 24.95 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, closed flat at 49.30 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, rose 0.75 percent to 107.10 HK dollars. Sun Hung Kai Properties lost 0.1 percent at 102.30 HK dollars. As for mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank rose 0.55 percent at 5.52 HK dollars. ICBC decreased 0.2 percent at 4.92 HK dollars. Bank of China ended flat at 3.17 HK dollars. Bank of Communications went rose 0.2 percent to 4.98 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec was up 0.36 percent to 5.58 HK dollars. PetroChina ended 0.54 percent higher at 9.24 HK dollars. CNOOC was up 0.29 percent at 13.82 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.76 HK dollars)