Hang Seng Index down 0.63% on Thu

Nov. 5, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Hong Kong stocks fell on Thursday. The Hang Seng Index, the benchmark, opened 209.71 points lower at 21,405. After touching the intraday low of 21,372.99 points, the blue-chip Hang Seng Index slid 135.69 points or 0.63% to close at 21,479.08.

Mainboard turnover rose to HK$60.77 billion. 

The Hang Seng China Enterprise Index, which tracks the overall performance of 43 Chinese mainland state-owned enterprises on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, slipped 24.89 points or 0.19% to 12,805.26 points. 

Market heavyweight HSBC Holdings Plc<0005><HBC>, which accounts for the largest weighting for the Hang Seng Index, decreased 0.76% to HK$85.25.

Evergrande Real Estate Group Ltd<3333> surged 34.29% above its IPO price to HK$4.7 on its first trading day. Playmates Toys Ltd<0869> surged 18.18% to HK$1.17. New World Mobile Holdings Ltd<0862> declined 13.11% to HK$5.7.

Insurance stocks were weak today. Top insurer China Life Insurance<601628><2628><LFC> fell 1.34% to HK$36.7, and smaller rival Ping An Insurance<601318><2318> slid 0.28% to HK$70.15. PICC Property & Casualty Co Ltd<2328> slipped 0.68% to HK$5.84. China Insurance International Holdings Co<0966> fell 0.18% to HK$27.55.

Stocks of communication firms ended mixed. China Mobile<0941><CHL>, the largest firm by capitalization in the Hong Kong market, slid 0.88% to HK$73.25. China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd<600050><0762><CHU> increased 3.59% to HK$10.4. China Telecom Corp Ltd<0728><CHA> slid 0.58% to HK$3.43. ZTE Corp<000063><0763> climbed 0.33% to HK$45.5.