Roundup: Hong Kong stocks close 0.5 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks moved up 123.78 points, or 0.50 percent, to close on Thursday at 24,902.06 points.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 24,709.56 and 24, 998.64. Turnover totaled 82.72 billion HK dollars (about 11.30 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index ended up 162.95 points, or 1.35 percent, to close at 12,227.75.

All of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Finance sub- index rose the most at 0.62 percent, followed by the Commerce & Industry at 0.51 percent, the Utilities at 0.27 percent, the Properties at 0.08 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, lost 0.21 percent to 69.9 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another major bank in Hong Kong, rose 0.47 percent to 31.9 HK dollars.

Local bourse operator HKEX moved up 1.3 percent to 179.9 HK dollars.

China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier, rose 0.94 percent to 107 HK dollars. China Unicom, another Chinese telecom giant, rose 0.31 percent at 12.84 HK dollars.

Local property shares closed mixed. Sun Hung Kai, one of Hong Kong's largest property developer by market value, fell 0.24 percent to 123.6 HK dollars. Cheung Kong properties, controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, went up 0.66 percent to 153 HK dollars. Hang Lung lost 0.45 percent to 22 HK dollars.

As for mainland-based financial stocks, Bank of China rose 1.13 percent at 4.47 HK dollars. Bank of Communications rose 1.67 percent to 6.7 HK dollars. China Construction Bank gained 1.09 HK dollars at 6.49 HK dollars. ICBC rose 0.88 percent at 5.71 HK dollars.

As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec rose 1.4 percent to 6.53 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, surged 2.04 percent to 9.02 HK dollars. CNOOC rose 2.38 percent to 11.16 HK dollars (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.75 HK dollars) Endi