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Hong Kong stocks end down

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares closed 0.82% lower on Tuesday following losses on Wall Street.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 192.50 points to 23 179.04 on turnover of HK$57.75bn ($7.45bn).

"There hasn't been any major news today and the weaker leads from Europe and Wall Street have simply been replicated in Asian markets," said IG's chief market strategist Chris Weston.

Profit-takers also took the opportunity to cash in after last week's rally fuelled by the US Federal Reserve's surprise decision to leave its stimulus programme unchanged.

However, there was confusion over what the bank's next move will be.

On Friday, two days after the Fed announcement, senior bank official James Bullard said the cutbacks could still come this year.

But on Monday, other Fed officials reinforced the message that the central bank needed to see firmer improvement in the economy before cutting back on the $85 billion-a-month bond-buying scheme.

China Mobile eased 0.62% to HK$87.65, CNOOC slipped 1.50% to HK$15.80 and HSBC lost 0.64% to HK$85.75.

Apple suppliers listed in Hong Kong were one bright spot after the US giant said it saw a "record-breaking" opening weekend for its new lineup of iPhones.

Assembler FIH Mobile, a unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, rose 3.4 percent to HK$4.88 while audio-parts maker AAC Technologies Holdings added 1.6 percent to HK$37.70.

Chinese shares closed down 0.61 percent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 13.51 points to 2,207.53 on turnover of 143.3bn yuan ($23.4bn).

"Buying incentives are lacking ahead of the National Day holiday (from next Tuesday)," Zheshang Securities analyst Zhang Yanbing told AFP.

"Investors also worry the bank credit crunch late in the second quarter might occur again as the third quarter is about to end," he added.

A cash squeeze in China's banking system rattled the market in late June.

Securities and banking stocks led Tuesday's decline. Southwest Securities fell 5.75% to 9.50 yuan and China Minsheng Banking dropped 4.14% to 9.73 yuan.

Bestv New Media surged by its 10% daily limit to 51.11 yuan after media reported a planned joint venture with software giant Microsoft in the soon-to-open Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

Besttone Holding, a unit of China Telecom, also jumped 10 percent over media reports that the zone will allow access to Facebook, Twitter and other websites banned nationwide.


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