Hong Kong stocks close slightly lower

Hong Kong shares ended lower on Monday, with the weighted index falling 1.34 points, or 0.01 percent, at 23,329.75. The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 23,254.23 and 23, 402.45. Turnover totaled 81.28 billion HK dollars (about 10.49 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index added 35.62 points, or 0. 30 percent, to close at 11,973.07. Two of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Properties sub- index and the Finance sub-index moved up 1.65 percent and 0.35 percent respectively. The Utilities slid 0.66 percent, and the Commerce & Industry went down 0.86 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 1.28 percent to 83.05 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank went down 0.75 percent at 118.6 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, fell 0. 33 percent to 30.4 HK dollars. As for Chinese mainland lenders, China Construction Bank, the country's second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 0.15 percent to 6.49 HK dollars. ICBC,The world's largest bank by market value, went down 0.69 percent to 5.75 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, closed at 6.1 HK dollars without change. Bank of China closed at 3.62 HK dollars without change. Local developers ended mixed. Hang Lung Properties fell 0.65 percent to 30.7 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK- based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, rose 2.15 percent to 123.5 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec lost 0.44 percent to 9.1 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went down 0.89 percent to 11.1 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 2. 78 percent to 57.3 HK dollars. China Res Power was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares falling 3.54 percent to 19.34 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.75 HK dollars)