Roundup: HK stocks close 0.53 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks ended up 0.53 percent on Wednesday, with the benchmark Hang Seng index rising 128.63 points to end at 24,528.23 points, after trading between 24, 377.92 and 24,613.69. Turnover totaled 83.59 billion HK dollars ( about 10.77 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 36.11 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 11,968.91.

Four sub-indices all gained ground, with the Properties sub- index rising the most by 1.48 percent, followed by the Commerce and Industry 0.55 percent, the Finance 0.31 percent and the Utility 0.26 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, closed up 0.4 percent to 67.35 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank rose 1.7 percent to 141.20 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX decreased 0.6 percent at 179. 80 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties fell 0.5 percent to 21.35 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, climbed 1.3 percent to 54.10 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka- shing, went up 2.2 percent to 154.70 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, retreated 0.2 percent to 6.37 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, slid 0.2 percent at 5.57 HK dollars. Bank of China lost 0.2 percent to 4.40 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, was up 1.3 percent to 8.28 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars) Endi