Hong Kong shares fell 0.8 percent to close at a one-year low on Thursday, weighed by earnings concerns amid slowing economic growth, while China Communications Construction plummeted on broker downgrades. China's top builder of highways and ports tumbled 13.7 percent to HK$10.74, its lowest level in 15 months, as analysts forecast softening investment growth in China's construction sector and further raw material price hikes.
The stock was the most actively traded issue of the day. Citigroup cut its rating on the stock to sell from hold with a reduced target price of HK$11.20, while Deutsche Bank downgraded the company to hold from buy, slashing its target price to HK$13.70 from HK$20.50. Both the notes were dated September 3.
"It's easier for a broker to downgrade a stock because that usually gets a strong reaction from this market. Investors hardly buy on upgrades anymore," said Steven Leung, director with UOB Kay Hian. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 195.58 points at 20,389.48, its lowest close since August 17, 2007. Mainboard turnover rose slightly to HK$56.5 billion ($7.2 billion) from HK$56.1 billion on Wednesday.
"The next two or three days are extremely critical as liquidation sales in commodities should help the market find its bottom quickly from here on," said Alex Wong, director with Ample Finance Group. The Hang Seng has fallen in 14 of the last 21 sessions but intermittent gains like a sharp post-earnings relief rally last month have kept the index from breaking below 20,000 points.
The HSI has lost more than 26 percent so far this year and 35 percent from its October 2007 highs. Shares in China Netcom closed 2.2 percent higher, after jumping close to 6 percent earlier, after Spain's Telefonica said it had agreed to expand its stake in the Chinese carrier by 5.74 percent for up to 802 million euros ($1.16 billion). Shares in wireless operator Unicom, which is merging with Netcom under a government-orchestrated reorganisation of the world's largest telecoms industry, also gained 2 percent.
The China Enterprises Index of top Hong Kong-listed mainland Chinese firms fell 1.4 percent. Bulk shipping companies continued their downtrend, falling in line with a 4.9 percent overnight slump on the global freight index.
The Baltic Dry Index, which measures changes in the cost of shipping commodities, fell for an 11 straight session to hit a seven-month low on Wednesday on deepening concern over a global economic slowdown which would erode demand for commodities. China Cosco, the nation's largest shipping conglomerate, dropped 6.2 percent to HK$12.40, its lowest level in more than a year, while China Shipping Development fell 5.1 percent.