-- Hong Kong stocks continued their downward slide Thursday as prolonged uncertainty in the Middle East dampened risk appetite.
The Hang Seng Index fell by around 248.04 points, or roughly 0.1%, to end at 25,915.20 while the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index decreased by 69.15 points, or around 0.8%, to close at 8,732.63.
Iran and the U.S. were no closer to beginning peace talks as both sides remained locked in a stalemate, prompting Brent crude prices, viewed as the global benchmark, to once again zoom past $100.
Meanwhile, strategists at BNP Paribas said mainland Chinese investors were slowing their purchases of Hong Kong-listed shares this year to give priority to artificial intelligence-related investment opportunities in the mainland markets, the South China Morning Post reported.
According to the report, the Stock Connect cross-border system had recorded $30 billion in inflows so far this year, a slower pace than the $180 billion reached in 2025.
In corporate news, Huaqin (HKG:3296; SHA:603296) made a strong debut on its first day of trading in Hong Kong.
The Chinese smart hardware products manufacturer closed at HK$88.00 per share, up 13% from the IPO offer price of HK$77.70.