Roundup: Hong Kong stocks close 0.43 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks got off to a negative start and then drifted into positive territory on Friday, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index increasing 0.43 percent.

The index closed at 21,182.32 points, after trading between 20, 957.99 and 21,318.33. Turnover totaled 69.06 billion HK dollars ( about 8.91 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 0.45 percent, or 42. 45 points, to close at 9,512.26 points.

Three of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Properties rose the most by 1.02 percent, followed by the Commerce & Industry and the Finance 0.39 percent. The Utilities sub-index decreased 0. 22 percent.

Local property stocks closed mixed. Sun Hung Kai, one of Hong Kong's largest property developer by market value, closed at 102.5 HK dollars, up 1.1 percent. Henderson Land edged down 0.11 percent to 47.25 HK dollars. CKH Holdings ended at 100.8 HK dollars, down 0.1 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, climbed 0.17 percent to 58.75 HK dollars.

Bank of East Asia, one of the largest local banks in Hong Kong, moved up 0.78 percent to close at 25.9 HK dollars.

Local bourse operator HKEX edged down 0.16 percent to 181.6 HK dollars.

Mainland-based financial stocks rose across the board. Bank of China added 0.6 percent to close at 3.38 HK dollars. China Construction Bank went up 0.38 percent to 5.24 HK dollars. Bank of Communications rose 1.51 percent at 5.39 HK dollars. ICBC gained 0. 89 percent to 4.53 HK dollars.

Energy stocks closed mixed. Kulun Energy Co. dipped 0.72 percent to close at 5.55 HK dollars. China's top refiner Sinopec dropped 0.62 percent to 4.83 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, increased 0.18 percent to 5.55 HK dollars.

China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier, dipped 0.58 percent to 94.4 HK dollars. China Unicom, another Chinese telecom giant, added 0.2 percent to 9.83 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.75 HK dollars) Endi