Hong Kong shares dip

Hong Kong's benchmark share index retreated from near three-month highs on Thursday as some investors took profits from a jump in the previous session as fears of a near-term US interest rate hike receded. The Hang Seng index ended down 0.1 percent at 20,776.70 points, while the China Enterprises Index gained 0.3 percent to 9,003.25. For the month, the Hang Seng gained 8.7 percent, but was still down 5.2 percent in the first quarter after a dismal start to the year. Energy shares were firm but the financial sector
fell, weighed down by China's state-owned lenders, which have reported flat earnings growth and higher bad loans as economic growth slows. Shares of Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties Co Ltd surged 18.4 percent, after disclosing that its parent Dalian Wanda Group was looking at taking the company private.