Hong Kong shares fell on Thursday as sliding oil prices weighed on energy stocks and as investors booked profits ahead of the long Easter weekend. The Hang Seng index fell 1.3 percent to 20,345.61 points, while the China Enterprises Index lost 1.9 percent to 8,701.13 points. The energy sector dropped 2.6 percent, with oil giants Sinopec Corp and PetroChina tumbling 2.6 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively. An index tracking resources shares also dropped sharply, down nearly 3 percent.
Hong Kong markets will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The Hang Seng index fell 1.7 percent in the holiday-shortened week but has still gained more than 10 percent since mid-February.