Hong Kong stocks fall most in 4 weeks as traders pocket gains; SHKP leads developers higher after property curbs scrapped
Hong Kong stocks slid by the most in four weeks after traders locked in profits from a rally that had sent the benchmark gauge to its highest level this year.
Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) bucked the downward trend to lead gains among local developers after the government scrapped all curbs on property transactions in a bid to boost the ailing housing market.
The Hang Seng Index sank 1.5 per cent to 16,635.85 at the close on Wednesday after hitting a 2024 high a day earlier. The Hang Seng Tech Index slumped 2.2 per cent and the Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.9 per cent.
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Country Garden Services tumbled 6.5 per cent to HK$5.88 after its affiliate Country Garden Holdings received a winding-up petition from a creditor. Baidu lost 1.8 per cent to HK$106.60 before its earnings announcement later on Wednesday that may show net income fell 3.2 per cent from a year earlier in the fourth quarter.
SHKP, the city's biggest developer, added 0.7 per cent to HK$78 after Hong Kong abolished the stamp duty on second-home purchases and purchases by non-permanent buyers. Link Reit, a property investment trust, advanced 2 per cent to HK$39.
The strength of the recent rally in Hong Kong stocks will be put to the test as traders shift their focus to economic fundamentals and corporate earnings. Bellwether companies including NetEase and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing are due to report their results later this week, and China will release a purchasing managers' index of its manufacturing industry on Friday.
The Hang Seng Index rose to its highest level of the year so far on Tuesday after China appointed a new chief of the securities regulator, imposed restrictions on shorting the market and boosted state buying.
"The rebound [has been] mainly driven by low valuations, policy support and improving liquidity," said Wang Yi, an analyst at Great Wall Securities. "Fundamentals will take hold after the initial improvement in sentiment. Before an improvement in fundamentals is confirmed, the market may not have a clear trading theme."
Internet giant Tencent Holdings slid 2.7 per cent to HK$277 and Alibaba Group Holding weakened 1.7 per cent to HK$74.25. Meituan shed 4 per cent to HK$78.35.
Hong Kong has also scrapped the stamp duty on sales of homes bought within two years, finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po said in his budget address on Wednesday.
Henderson Land Development surged 3.8 per cent to HK$23.05 and New World Development shot up 2.9 per cent to HK$10.08. Wharf Real Estate Investment rose 0.8 per cent to HK$26.
"The move will open Hong Kong residential market to a much wider group of potential buyers, [having previously been] mainly local self-occupying buyers," said Jefferies in a report on Wednesday. "We have been arguing that consensus is excessively bearish on home prices, given resilient end-user demand."
In his speech, Chan said that the city would take measures to help the digital transformation of smaller companies, earmark funds to support the tourism industry and cut profit and salary taxes to alleviate the burden on companies as part of a drive to reinvigorate growth.
Elsewhere, online games operator NetEase surged 4.6 per cent to HK$176.70 after the industry regulator approved 111 new titles this month.
Other major Asian markets were mixed on Wednesday. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed little changed, while South Korea's Kospi rose 1 per cent.
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