Hong Kong stocks fall as energy shares retreat

Reuters2021-06-29

June 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Tuesday, as energy firms slumped after a decline in oil prices, with investors treading cautiously ahead of a U.S. jobs report.

The Hang Seng index fell 0.9% to 28,994.10, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.0% to 10,757.30 points.

The top gainer on the Hang Seng was Haidilao International Holding Ltd, which gained 8.69%, while the biggest loser was China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, which fell 4.59%.

Falling the most, the Hang Seng energy index retreated 2.9% on the back of weaker oil prices.

State-owned oil giant PetrolChina lost 4.2%, while CNOOC eased 2.9%.

Oil prices dropped for a second day on Tuesday on worries about slower fuel demand growth as outbreaks of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant Delta sparked new mobility restrictions around the world.

Adding to the pressure were concerns new coronavirus outbreaks in Asia could undercut an economic recovery, even as robust momentum in the United States prompts the Federal Reserve to contemplate a quicker exit from accommodative policy.

On Friday, a closely-watched U.S. jobs report for June will be released, which could sway the Fed's policy outlook and bring forward expectations for interest rate increases.

China's main Shanghai Composite index closed down 0.92% at 3,573.18, while the blue-chip CSI300 index ended down 1.17%.

Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was weaker by 0.5%, while Japan's Nikkei index closed down 0.81%.

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