Roundup: HK stocks close 0.51 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks ended up 0.51 percent on Wednesday, with the benchmark Hang Seng index rising 124.98 points to end at 24,679.76 points, after trading between 24, 642.50 and 24,824.58. Turnover totaled 87.30 billion HK dollars ( about 11.25 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 1.09 points, or 0.01 percent, to close at 11,767.49.

Two sub-indices gained ground, with the Commerce and Industry sub-index rising by 0.86 percent, followed by the Finance 0.40 percent. The Properties closed flat, while the Utility lost 0.09 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, closed up 1.3 percent to 72.40 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank jumped 5.2 percent to 143.50 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX dereased 0.2 percent at 178. 30 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties added 0.4 percent to 22. 60 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, fell 1.0 percent to 54.95 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, lost 0.9 percent to 147.40 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, rose 0.5 percent to 6.27 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, went up 0.2 percent to 5.57 HK dollars. Bank of China grew 0.2 percent to 4.33 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, was up 1.9 percent to 8.76 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars) Endi