Hong Kong stocks end 0.28% higher

Hong Kong shares ended higher on Thursday, with the weighted index rising 62.53 points, or 0.28 percent, at 22,619.18. The benchmark Hang Seng Index traded between 22,305.54 and 22,655.88. Turnover totaled 83.06 billion HK dollars (about 10.7 billion U.S. dollars). The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 64.55 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 11,101.96. Two of the four sub-indices gained ground. The Utilities sub- index and the Finance sub-index moved up 1.22 percent and 0.88 percent respectively. The Commerce & Industry slid 0.17 percent, and the Properties went down 1.38 percent. Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, rose 0.89 percent to 84.75 HK dollars, and its local unit Hang Seng Bank went up 1.95 percent at 130.9 HK dollars. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, added 1.45 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 1.29 percent to 6.28 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, went up 1.12 percent at 5.43 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, added 0.86 percent at 5.86 HK dollars. Bank of China rose 0.84 percent at 3.59 HK dollars. Local developers closed lower. Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, went down 0.94 percent to 115.7 HK dollars. Hang Lung Properties fell 1.98 percent to 29.75 HK dollars. As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec added 0.11 percent to 8.76 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, went down 0.19 percent to 10.66 HK dollars. Kunlun Energy Co. Ltd. was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 2.26 percent to 16.28 HK dollars. Henderson Land, one of the major developers in Hong Kong, was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares falling 3.32 percent to 49.55 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.76 HK dollars)