HSI Dips On Profit Taking, HKEx Shares Fall

Hong Kong shares finished on Thursday morning with slight losses as profit-taking after the previous day's rally offset optimism about China-US trade talks following conciliatory gestures by both sides.

The Hang Seng Index eased 0.2 percent, to 27,118 by the break.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.4 percent, to 3,021 while the Shenzhen Composite Index also rose 0.3 percent, to 1,676.

Tokyo ended the morning 0.8 percent higher while Sydney climbed 0.5 percent. Wellington and Taipei also rose, as did Jakarta.

In share trading, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing sank more than 3 percent after its shock bid of almost US$40 billion for the London Stock Exchange Group.

Reports said the proposal is likely to fail, however, as it is dependent on the LSEG scrapping a planned US$27 billion takeover of US financial data provider Refinitiv, which the three-centuries-old exchange said it "remains committed" to buying.

There are also concerns about ongoing unrest in Hong Kong and the influence of China in the group, the Financial Times reported. (AFP)

______________________________