HONG KONG: Hong Kong shares closed down Friday after a weak lead from Wall Street and as investors awaited a key US inflation report due later in the day.

The Hang Seng Index was down 1.07 percent, or 259.14 points, to 23,995.72.

The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.18 percent, or 6.69 points, to 3,666.35, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange gained slightly, by 0.14 percent, or 3.49 points, to 2,546.65.