Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares ended lower, easing off fresh seven-year highs on Thursday as the market enters a period of consolidation after surging more than 10 percent in the first two weeks of April.
But in a sign of continuing money inflows into the city, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) this week intervened in the currency market again, selling Hong Kong dollars to keep the local currency within its trading band against the US dollar.
The Hang Seng index fell 0.4 percent, to 27,827.70, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.3 percent, to 14,478.20 points.
Among the most actively traded stocks on Hong Kong's main board were Ping Shan Tea, up 13.3 percent to HK$0.07 Landing International, down 28.3 percent to HK$0.10 and CST Mining, up 30.0 percent to HK$0.10.
Total trading volume of companies included in the HSI index was 2.5 billion shares.
Reuters