Roundup: HK stocks close 0.26 pct lower

Hong Kong stocks ended lower on Wednesday with the benchmark Hang Seng index falling 0.26 percent, or 65.15 points to end at 25,055.76 points. Turnover totaled 104. 64 billion HK dollars (about 13.45 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 165.97 points, or 1. 31 percent, to close at 11,681.20.

Two of the four sub-indices lost ground, with the Commerce and Industry sub-index falling by 0.42 percent and the Finance 0.25 percent. The Utility rose 0.16 percent while the Properties added 0.09 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 0.6 percent at 68.95 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed up 0.3 percent to 150.90 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX lost 2.4 percent at 228.00 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties rose 0.7 percent to 22.30 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, climbed 1.2 percent to 53.10 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka- shing, increased 0.2 percent to 112.20 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, went down 0.3 percent to 6.48 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, was down 1.0 percent to 5.66 HK dollars. Bank of China slid 1.1 percent to 4.44 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, decreased 0.2 percent to 8.01 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7. 761 HK dollars) Endi