Roundup: HK stocks rise to 7-month high

Hong Kong stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Thursday, as investor sentiment remained bullish.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index closed up 192.89 points, or 0.77 percent, to a seven-month high of 25,275.64, after trading between 25,152.57 and 25,297.8. Turnover totaled 124.74 billion HK dollars (about 16.09 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 1 percent, or 125.84 points, to close at 12,663.12.

Three of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Commerce and Industry ended 1.14 percent higher; the Properties was up 0.67 percent; the Finance closed 0.61 percent higher. However, the Utilities was down 0.42 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, closed up 0.67 percent at 67 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank shed 0.28 percent to 140.6 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX gained 0.25 percent to close at 196 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties rose 0.68 percent to 22. 15 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, slid 0.81 percent to 55.4 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, went up 0.13 percent to 159.4 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, added 1.78 percent to 6. 56 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, closed 1.56 percent higher at 5.85 HK dollars. Bank of China gained 1.09 percent to 4.62 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, was up 1.39 percent to 8.75 HK dollars. Sinopec, another leading oil refiner, ended at 6.23 HK dollars, up 0.64 percent. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars) Endi