Hong Kong stocks close 0.17% higher

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.17 percent on Thursday. The benchmark Hang Seng index closed up 38.44 points to end at 23,082.68 points, after trading between 22,955.90 and 23,163.00. Turnover totaled 60.80 billion HK dollars (about 7. 84 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 63.81 points, or 0. 58 percent, to close at 11,019.48. Three sub-indices gained ground, with the Commerce and Industry sub-indice rising the most by 0.49 percent, followed by the Utility 0.14 percent and the Finance 0.03 percent. The Properties fell 0.26 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 1.0 percent to 88.80 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 0.5 percent higher at 130.20 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, closed down 0.3 percent at 31.05 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX ended flat at 130.70 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties ended down 1.3 percent at 29.90 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, decreased 0.2 percent to 55.95 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, added 0.3 percent to 115.80 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, fell 0.5 percent at 6.45 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, gained 0.2 percent at 5.56 HK dollars. Bank of China sank 0.5 percent to 3.76 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, decreased 0.3 percent to 6.16 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec lost 0.8 percent to 8.53 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, ended down 2.1 percent at 9.81 HK dollars. (1 U. S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars)