Roundup: Hong Kong stocks close 0.75 pct lower

Hong Kong stocks moved down 179. 01 points, or 0.75 percent, to close on Wednesday at 23,717.97 points, the lowest level in nearly two months.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 23,703.84 and 23, 899.86. Turnover totaled 78.26 billion HK dollars (about 10.09 billion U.S.dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index ended down 70.29 points, or 0.78 percent, to close at 11,417.34.

All four sub-indices lost ground with the Finance moved down 0. 78 percent, the Commerce and Industry ended down 0.77 percent and the Properties moved down 0.36 percent, the Utilities moved down 1. 17 percent.

The Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, edged down 1.71 percent to 65.95 HK dollars.

Bank of East Asia, one of the largest local banks in Hong Kong, ended down 1.01 percent to 29.30 HK dollars.

Local bourse operator HKEX moved down 0.28 percent to 175.30 HK dollars.

China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier, moved down 1.90 percent to 97.90 HK dollars, while another Chinese telecom giant China Unicom moved up 0.34 percent to 11.78 HK dollars.

For the local property stocks, Sun Hung Kai, one of HK's largest property developer by market value, ended down 0.42 percent to 118.80 HK dollars; Cheung Kong properties, owned by billionaire Li Ka- shing, ended flat with 150.08 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, ended down 0.65 percent to 6.16 HK dollars.

ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, moved down 0.92 percent with 5.38 HK dollars. Bank of China moved down 0.24 percent to 4.19 HK dollars.

As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec ended down 0. 65 percent to 6.09 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, ended down 1.33 percent to 8.19 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.76 HK dollars) Endi