HK stocks end 0.25% higher

HONG KONG, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong shares ended higher on Wednesday, with the weighted index rising 57.32 points, or 0.25 percent, to 22,577.01.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 22,656.4 and 22,445.34. Turnover totaled 68.18 billion HK dollars (about 8.79 billion U.S. dollars).

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 40.24 points, or 0.36 percent, to close at 11,144.34.

Two of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Finance sub-index and the Properties sub-index moved up 0.37 percent and 1.62 percent respectively. The Commerce & Industry slid 0.12 percent, and the Utilities went down 1.08 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 0.18 percent to 84 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank went up 0.65 percent to 123.6 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, gained 0.96 percent to 31.55 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, rose 0.16 percent to 6.18 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, went down 0.19 percent to 5.4 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, also lost 0.19 percent to close at 5.93 HK dollars. Bank of China lowered 0.56 percent at 3. 55 HK dollars.

Local developers closed lower. Hang Lung Properties gained 0.51 percent to 29.4 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, moved up 1.33 percent to 53.45 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, went up 0.68 percent to 119.3 HK dollars.

As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec added 0.46 percent to 8.73 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, lost 0.19 percent to 10.56 HK dollars.

AIA was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 4.12 percent to 32.85 HK dollars.

Power Assets was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares dropping 3.24 percent to 68.65 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.756 HK dollars)

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