Hong Kong shares end lower as investors book profits

Wharf Real Estate Investment

19/12/2019 08:49

* Hang Seng index ends down 0.3%
    * China Enterprises index HSCE falls 0.35% 
    * Financial sector -0.3%, property sub-index ends flat

    Dec 19 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares fell on Thursday as
investors booked profits from the recent rally, and as investors
wait for fresh data on the state of global growth.
    
** The Hang Seng index  .HSI  closed down 83.72 points or 0.3%
at 27,800.49. The benchmark has gained over 5.5% this month.
 
** The Hang Seng China Enterprises index  .HSCE  fell 0.35% to
10,985.89. It is still up 6.64% this month.
 
** The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking energy shares
 .HSCIE  dipped 0.4%, while the IT sector  .HSCIIT  dipped 0.15%
and the financial sector  .HSNF  ended 0.3% lower.
 
** Traders also await a Bank of England (BoE) policy meeting
later Thursday. No change in policy is expected, but the meeting
could pose further downside risks for sterling if more
policymakers swing to the dovish camp and vote for an interest
rate cut.  MKTS/GLOB    
 
** MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index  .MIAPJ0000PUS  was weaker
by 0.29%, while Japan's Nikkei index  .N225  closed down 0.29%.
 
** The top gainer on the Hang Seng was Wharf Real Estate
Investment Company Ltd  1997.HK , which gained 1.59%, while the
biggest loser was AAC Technologies Holdings Inc  2018.HK , which
fell 2.37%.
 
** China's main Shanghai Composite index  .SSEC  ended flat at
3,017.07 points, while the blue-chip CSI300 index  .CSI300 
closed down 0.14%.
 
** The yuan  CNY=CFXS  was quoted at 7.0084 per U.S. dollar by
0812 GMT, 0.04% weaker than the previous close of 7.0055. 
 
** The top gainers among H-shares were China Vanke Co Ltd
 2202.HK  up 0.78%, followed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd
 1093.HK , gaining 0.66% and China Mobile Ltd  0941.HK , up by
0.56%.
 
** The three biggest H-shares percentage decliners were China
Gas Holdings Ltd  0384.HK , which was down 6.08%, China
Resources Land Ltd  1109.HK , which fell 2.14% and Guangdong
Investment Ltd  0270.HK , down by 1.45%.

 (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; editing by Uttaresh.V)
 ((Andrew.Galbraith@tr.com; +86 21 2083 0079; Reuters Messaging:
andrew.galbraith.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net ; Twitter: https://twitter.com/apgalbraith))