Hong Kong stocks close 0.16% higher

Hong Kong shares ended higher on Thursday, with the weighted index rising 36.41 points, or 0.16 percent, at 22,659.78 The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 22,483.95 and 22, 661.74. Turnover totaled 60.92 billion HK dollars (about 7.86 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 35.95 points, or 0. 32 percent, to close at 11,352.45. Three out of four sub-indices gained ground, with the Properties rising the most by 0.44 percent, followed by the Finance 0.17 percent, and the Commerce & Industry 0.14 percent. The Utility fell 0.35 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 1.43 percent to 81.65 HK dollars, and its local unit Hang Seng Bank went up 0.43 percent at 118.1 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, lost 0. 34 percent to 29.35 HK dollars. As for Mainland-based financial stocks, China Construction Bank, the country's second largest bank which accounts for the third largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 0.95 percent to 6. 26 HK dollars. ICBC,The world's largest bank by market value, went up 0.18 percent at 5.6 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, lost 1.02 percent at 5.81 HK dollars. Bank of China moved down 0.58 percent at 3.46 HK dollars. Local developers also ended mixed. Hang Lung Properties rose 0. 67 percent to 30.05 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, went up 0.54 percent to 56.2 HK dollars. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, closed at 119.9 HK dollars without change. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec added 0.80 percent to 8.87 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went up 0.18 percent to 11.02 HK dollars. China Overseas was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 2.17 percent to 23.6 HK dollars. CHALCO was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares falling 2.24 percent to 3.49 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.75 HK dollars)