Hong Kong Stocks slid further hitting their lowest in two weeks following a report indicating a contraction in US manufacturing data for the fifth straight month in August, together with the sudden surge in the Japanese yen has put investors and traders in a risk-off mode.
The investor sentiment has worsened further with the slowdown in the service activity across China and global tensions arising from higher tariffs imposed by Canada on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum imports.
The Hang Seng Index fell 1.10%, or 194.15 points, to close Wednesday's session at 17,457.34. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 1.12 %, or 69.57 points, to close at 6,133.98.
On the economic front, Hong Kong's business activity continued to contract on lower orders in August as business activity, output, and new orders declined. The S&P Global Hong Kong SAR Purchasing Manager's Index slipped to 49.4 in August from 49.5 in July, still below the 50 mark separating contraction from expansion.
According to S&P, spending and new orders decreased resulting in a subdued output and a fall in backlogs in August, despite a rise in new business from mainland China and overseas. Employment slipped for a fourth consecutive month and purchases declined for the first time since April, while average input costs rose across the city.
In corporate news, Sanergy Group's (HKG:2459) largest shareholder Otautahi Capital was forced to sell part of its shareholding in the company after a warning from Hong Kong's securities regulator regarding the high concentration of shareholding in the company. The company's stocks plummeted 98% on Tuesday but rose back up 78% on Wednesday's close.
S&P Global Ratings said in a Monday release that the Agricultural Bank of China (HKG:1288, SHA:601288) will endure China's property slowdown and weak economic growth through its solid market position and sufficient capital and risk management. The bank's shares rose over 2% on Wednesday's close.
A winding-up petition against Kaisa Group Holdings (HKG:1638) in the Hong Kong High Court has been adjourned until March 31, 2025, the hearing was set to take place on Sept. 9. However, both parties applied for adjournment on Tuesday, which was approved by the court. The company's shares fell nearly 8% on Wednesday's close.
HSBC Holdings (HKG:0005) bought back about 4.9 million shares in the UK and Hong Kong on Tuesday. The British lender repurchased roughly 3.0 million shares in the UK at a weighted average price of 6.60 pounds sterling apiece and about 1.9 million shares in Hong Kong at a weighted average price of HK$68.07 apiece. The company's shares fell over 1% on Wednesday's close.
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