HK stocks end 0.19 pct lower

HONG KONG, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong stocks closed down 41.50 points, or 0.19 percent, at 22,041.86 on Tuesday.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 22,218.85 and 22,030.66. Turnover totaled 68.32 billion HK dollars (about 8.8 billion U.S. dollars), down from Monday's 78.23 billion HK dollars.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 54.65 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 10,740.05.

Two of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Utilities and the Properties sub-indices gained 2.06 percent and 0.5 percent respectively, while the Commerce & Industry and the Finance sub- indices lost 0.47 percent and 0.38 percent respectively.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 0.36 percent to 84.45 HK dollars. Its local unit Hang Seng Bank dipped 0.08 percent at 124.60 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, retreated 0.81 percent to 30.75 HK dollars.

Chinese mainland lenders ended lower. China Construction Bank, the country's second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 1.31 percent to 6. 05 HK dollars. ICBC, The world's largest bank by market value, lost 1.33 percent at 5.20 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, lowered 0.86 percent at 5.75 HK dollars. Bank of China lost 0.57 percent at 3.47 HK dollars.

Local developers closed up in general. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, went up 0.54 percent to 111.7 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, edged up 0.31 percent to 48.70 HK dollars. Hang Lung Properties rose 1.57 percent to 29.2 HK dollars. Sun Hung Kai Properties gained 1.05 percent to 106.3 HK dollars.

As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec rose 0.7 percent to 8.68 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went up 0.38 percent to 10.36 HK dollars. CNOOC lowered 1.24 percent at 14.28 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar = 7.76 HK dollars)

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