HONG KONG, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong stocks fell 1.43 percent on Monday. The benchmark Hang Seng index closed down 316. 38 points to end at 21,772.67 points, after trading between 21,735.31 and 21,998.74.
Turnover totaled 55.03 billion HK dollars (about 7.09 billion U. S. dollars).
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 214.92 points, or 2.02 percent, to close at 10,440.76.
Four sub-indices all lost ground, with the Utility sub-indice falling the most by 1.71 percent, followed by the Commerce and Industry 1.63 percent, the Finance 1.37 percent and the Properties 0.89 percent.
Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, fell 1.2 percent to 81.05 HK dollars, while its local unit Hang Seng Bank closed 1.2 percent lower at 123.60 HK dollars.
Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, closed down 1.0 percent at 29.75 HK dollars. Local bourse operator HKEX lost 1.8 percent at 128.20 HK dollars.
Local developers Hang Lung Properties ended down 1.0 percent at 29.35 HK dollars. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, decreased 0.5 percent to 54.80 HK dollars, and Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, closed down 0.3 percent to 114.50 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 1.5 percent at 6.11 HK dollars. ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, lost 1.5 percent at 5.17 HK dollars. Bank of China slid 1.7 percent to 3.48 HK dollars. Bank of Communications, China's fifth biggest lender measured by assets, retreated 1.2 percent to 5.76 HK dollars.
As for energy stocks, China's top refiner Sinopec sank 2.9 percent to 8.61 HK dollars. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer, ended down 2.3 percent at 9.67 HK dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals 7.761 HK dollars)
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