Roundup: HK stocks close 3.13 pct higher

Hong Kong stocks ended higher on Wednesday with the benchmark Hang Seng index rising 3.13 percent, or 684.14 points to end at 22,515.76 points. Turnover totaled 108. 67 billion HK dollars (about 13.97 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 463.26 points or 4. 66 percent, to close at 10,394.79.

Four sub-indices all gained ground, with the Finance sub-index rising the most by 3.69 percent, followed by the Commerce and Industry 2.95 percent, the Properties 2.71 percent and the Utility 0.56 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index closed up 2.5 percent to 62.05 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 3.0 percent higher to 145.50 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX went up 4.5 percent at 194.80 HK dollars.

Local developers Hang Lung Properties rose 0.3 percent to 18.06 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong climbed 1.6 percent to 48.65 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka- shing, added 0.2 percent to 104.10 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, increased 4.5 percent to 5.59 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, jumped 5.0 percent to 4.86 HK dollars. Bank of China grew 4.6 percent to 3.61 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, advanced 9.2 percent to 6.29 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7. 761 HK dollars) Endi