HSI Drops On China-US Trade Talks Delay

Hong Kong stocks ended the morning in negative territory on Thursday as investors cashed out after five days of gains, while nervously awaiting news on the China-US trade talks.

The Hang Seng index eased 0.3 percent, to 27,595.

On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index dipped 0.3 percent to 2,969, while the main index in Shenzhen finished the morning trade with a gain, up 0.2 percent 1,644.

Singapore eased 0.1 percent, Seoul shed 0.2 percent and Taipei gave up 0.5 percent. Tokyo was slightly lower at the break. There were gains, however, in Sydney and Manila.

Stephen Innes, senior market analyst at AxiTrader said investors were trying to weigh the risks.

"A possible rollback in a chunk of tariffs should be a monumentally more colossal affair than a delay in the date from mid-November to December," he said in a note.

"But ... with delay comes the chance that risk-on sentiment has too long to ferment, stalls and then maybe reverses as the waiting game weighs." (AFP)

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