Hong Kong stocks end 0.61% higher

Hong Kong stocks rose 0.61 percent on Monday. The benchmark Hang Seng index closed up 135.85 points to end at 22,251.15 points, after trading between 22,201.06 and 22,351.08. Turnover totaled 60.68 billion HK dollars (about 7. 82 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 81.52 points, or 0. 75 percent, to close at 10,978.00. Four sub-indices all gained ground, with the Finance sub-indice rising the most by 0.78 percent, followed by the Commerce and Industry 0.61 percent, the Utility 0.22 percent and the Properties 0.04 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 0.3 percent to 83.35 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 0.1 percent higher at 123.90 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, closed up 0.2 percent flat at 30.65 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX lost 0.4 percent at 133.90 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties ended down 0.9 percent at 28.80 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, increased 1.5 percent to 50.00 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, closed down 0.5 percent to 110.70 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, jumped 2.3 percent at 6. 31 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, advanced 1.3 percent at 5.39 HK dollars. Bank of China closed up 1. 4 percent to 3.56 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, went up 2.0 percent to 6. 01 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec added 2.7 percent to 8.99 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, ended up 1.0 percent at 10.14 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars)