HK stocks close up 0.24 pct Wednesday

Hong Kong stocks closed up 0.24 percent on Wednesday.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index moved up 53.51 points to close at 21,968.93 points, after trading between a day high of 21,984.26 points and a day low of 21,799.31 points.

Turnover shrank to 49.82 billion HK dollars (6.42 billion U.S. dollars) from Tuesday's 66.44 billion HK dollars.

The H-Share Index moved down 0.02 points, or 1.65 percent, to end at 9,778.51 points.

Banking giant HSBC ended up 0.23 percent at 88.1 HK dollars. China Mobile, China's dominant mobile carrier ended down 1.01 percent at 83.05 HK dollars.

Mainland lenders listed in Hong Kong gained. ICBC, China's largest bank by market value, edged up 0.78 percent to close at 5. 14 HK dollars; CCB, the country's second largest lender by market capitalization, ended up 0.35 percent at 5.72 HK dollars; BOC, one of the "big four", increased 0.31 percent to close at 3.28 HK dollars.

For local property developers, Sun Hung Kai, HK's largest property developer by market value, ended up 0.77 percent to close at 104.3 HK dollars; Cheung Kong properties, owned by billionaire Li Ka-shing, edged up 0.18 percent to 110.6 HK dollars.

PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer ended down 2.01 percent at 9.26 HK dollars. Sinopec, China's top refiner, ended up 0.69 percent to 5.88 HK dollars.

China Life, one of the world's largest life insurers by market value, ended down 0.43 percent at 18.68 HK dollars (1 U.S. dollar equals to 7.76 HK dollar).