China's shares fell on Monday for the fifth straight day after Sinopec Corp posted a smaller-than-expected 32 percent rise in 2003 profit, sparking a selling spree in large-capitalised blue chips.
The benchmark Shanghai composite index, grouping hard-currency B shares and yuan-denominated A shares, finished 0.83 percent lower at 1,719.674 points.
Sinopec Corp, Asia's largest refiner also traded in Hong Kong and New York, was Monday's second-most active stock.
Its A shares, open to a small group of foreign investors, fell 0.7 percent to 5.35 yuan.
"Recently, a slew of disappointing corporate results by large companies, including Sinopec and Unicom, has dampened sentiment," said trader Lu Wei at East Asia Securities.
Index heavyweight Unicom, or China United Telecommunications Corp Ltd, a unit of the smaller of the country's two cellular carriers, was Monday's most active stock. It closed down 2.3 percent at 4.59 yuan.
The Shanghai index has slipped every session since Tuesday, pressured by fears of further official credit tightening.
The government had announced a hike in bank reserve requirements for poorly capitalised banks on Wednesday.
On Monday, weakness in companies with disappointing results also spilled over to other blue chips. Baoshan Iron and Steel Co Ltd, the listed arm of the world's fourth most valuable steel maker, slid 1.8 percent to 7.23 yuan.
Smaller Daye Special Steel Co Ltd was Monday's biggest decliner, diving 7.06 percent to 8.39 yuan.
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