Hong Kong stocks close 0.28% higher

Hong Kong stocks rose 59.49 points, or 0.28 percent to close at 21,371.87 points on Wednesday. The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 21,460.96 and 21, 253.59. Turnover totaled 48.46 billion HK dollars (about 6.24 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index added 61.34 points, or 0. 65 percent, to close at 9,480.85. Three of the four sub-indices gained ground, with the Commerce & Industry sub-indice rising the most at 0.38 percent, followed by the Finance at 0.37 percent and the Properties at 0.03 percent, while the Utilities was down 0.75 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, added 0.53 percent to 85.50 HK dollars. Its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 0.6 percent higher at 116.90 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank dropped 0.18 percent at 27.95 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX fell 0.16 percent to 121.50 HK dollars. Local developers Hang Lung Properties was down 0.6 percent at 24.90 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, decreased 0.2 percent to 49.30 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, rose 0.95 percent to 106.30 HK dollars. Sun Hung Kai Properties gained 0.1 percent at 102.40 HK dollars. As for mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank rose 0.37 percent at 5.49 HK dollars. ICBC increased 0.82 percent at 4.93 HK dollars. Bank of China moved up 0.63 percent to 3.17 HK dollars. Bank of Communications went down 0.6 percent to 4.97 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec was up 1.46 percent to 5.56 HK dollars. PetroChina ended 0.77 percent higher at 9.19 HK dollars. CNOOC was up 0.44 percent at 13.78 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.76 HK dollars)