Roundup: Hong Kong stocks close 3.6 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks rose 758.15 points, or 3.6 percent, to close on Thursday at 21,838.54 points.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 21,407.59 and 21, 963.43. Turnover totaled 122.43 billion HK dollars (15.8 billion U. S. dollars), up from 108.89 billion HK dollars the previous trading day.

All four sub-indices gained ground, with the Properties sub- index rising the most by 4.72 percent, followed by the Commerce and Industry up 4.14 percent, the Finance 3.08 percent and the Utilities 1.89 percent.

Blue-chips were broadly higher. Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. rose 7.42 percent to close at 26.05 HK dollars. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, gained 1.4 percent to 61.45 HK dollars, and its local unit Hang Seng Bank increased 2.43 percent to 139.3 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX went up 4.31 percent at 186.2 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties climbed 3.54 percent to 18.14 HK dollars. SHK Properties, another major developer in Hong Kong, rose 2.12 percent to 98.65 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, advanced 3.59 percent to 103.9 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, closed 3.72 percent higher at 5.58 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, ended at 4.71 HK dollars, up 2.61 percent. Bank of China gained 4.25 percent to 3.68 HK dollars.

Energy shares posted good performances. PetroChina, the country 's largest oil and gas producer, rose 4.13 percent to 6.55 HK dollars. Sinopec, the nation's top oil refiner, gained 1.82 percent to end at 5.04 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.751 HK dollars) Endi