Hong Kong Stocks Struggle, Yuan Rises

123jump.com Staff
30 Jan, 2008
New York City

Stocks fell in Hong Kong on profit taking ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve decision on interest rates today and as chairman of Henderson Land Development Lee Shau-kee lowered his forecast for the rise in Hang Seng by 22%. Chairman''s comments are widely followed by investors. In Hong Kong trading Hang Seng Index dropped 2.6% or 638.11 at 23,653.69, while the China Enterprises index of H shares declined 4.7% or 623.77 to 12,755.41.

[R]6:00AM New York, 6:00PM Hong Kong - China’s domestic consumption contributed the most to the economic growth in 2007. CNOOC sets aside $5.24 billion capital expenditure.[/R]

Stocks fell in Hong Kong on profit taking ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve decision on interest rates today and as chairman of Henderson Land Development Lee Shau-kee lowered his forecast for the rise in Hang Seng by 22%. Chairman Lee’s comments are widely followed by investors.

In Hong Kong trading Hang Seng Index dropped 2.6% or 638.11 at 23,653.69, while the China Enterprises index of H shares declined 4.7% or 623.77 to 12,755.41.

Daily turnover on main-board was HK$105.1 billion compared to HK$92.6 billion yesterday.

Xinhua News Agency reported today that National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Li Xiaochao announced in Beijing that consumer spending replaced investment as the largest contributor to the economic growth in 2007. Of the 11.4% annual rise in GDP, consumer spending contributed 4.4%, investments weighed in with 4.3% and net exports contributed 2.7%.

Consumer spending rose 16.8% to Rmb8.9 trillion in 2007.

Xiaochao said, “Our policy is to push up domestic consumption by raising the income of citizens, especially that of the low income group. And the figure shows the policy is beginning to yield results.”

The Standard online news reported today that Chairman of Henderson Development, who is considered as the “Godfather of Stocks”, has lowered his forecast for the rise in Hang Seng Index between 27,000 points to 30,000 by March and slow in the second quarter.

Insurance companies fell after Bear Stearns cut earnings forecast for insurance on volatile stocks in China. China Life declined 7.4% to HK$29 after the brokerage cut its rating to “underperform”, citing that returns on investment will slow to 7.7% this year from 11% in 2007.

Bear Stearns also said Ping An Insurance Company investment income will fall 20% from the previous estimate to Rmb41.9 billion.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing slipped 6.4% to HK$166.5.

Steelmakers also plunged as the snowstorms have cut deliveries of fuel and coal. Angang fell 5.9% to HK$13.98 and Maanshan Iron & Steel Company tumbled 3.7% to HK$4.20.

CNOOC Limited declined 0.7% after reporting yesterday that the company is planning to spend $5.25 billion on capital expenditure projection. About $1 billion will be used for exploration and $4.1 billion will be earmarked for ten development projects.

Chief Financial Officer Yang Hua said the company will raise it production target between 195 and 199 million barrels of oil and gas equivalent this year, and added that the falling U.S. dollar and global inflation will impose challenge for the business.

Separately, China Petroleum & China Corporation said yesterday it will spend Rmb16 billion to expand plants in central China and double daily refining capacity at Changling refinery to 200,000 barrels by 2010.

ZTE Corporation rose 4% to HK$41.60 after Lehman Brothers Holdings raised its rating on the stock from “underweight” to “overweight”.

Hong Kong Electric gained 1% to HK$44.15. CLP Holdings 1.8% to HK$61.75 and China Oilfield Services Limited increased 6.3% to HK$13.


[R]5:00AM New York, 7:00PM Tokyo – Japan forecasted manufacturing to fall 0.4% in January and 2.2% in February. Sumitomo Mitsui estimated 99 billion in subprime related losses. [/R]

Stocks in Japan reversed earlier gains in the morning session to close down after a government report showed December industrial production rose below market expectations.

In Tokyo trading Nikkei 225 fell from a 0.3% gain in the morning session to close down 0.99% or 133.83 to 13,345.03 while the broader Topix Index reversed a 0.8% gain to drop 0.7%to 1,320.11.

Of the Nikkei 225 stocks 61 gained, 151 declined, and 13 were unchanged.

In the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange 10.9 billion shares worth 1.2 trillion yen were traded and in the second section 1.1 billion shares worth 7.6 billion yen changed hands.

The Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry reported today in its indices of industrial production preliminary report for December that industrial production rose for the first time in two months to 1.4% in December from November and gained 0.7% from the previous year to a seasonally adjusted 111.9.

Economists had forecasted that production index rise of 2%.

Industries that contributed to a rise in production included electronic parts and devices, general machinery and plastic products. Production of large passenger cars, flat panel display equipment and lithium ion storage batteries also significantly impacted on the increase.

METI also reported that shipments increased in December for the first time in two months by 1.6% from the previous month and 3.12% from a year ago to a seasonally adjusted figure of 116.9 buoyed by transport equipment, general machinery and iron and steel in that order.

Inventories however declined 0.5% from a month earlier for the first time in five months and 0.7% from the previous year dragged down by transport equipment, information and communication electronics equipment and chemicals.

According to the survey of production forecast, manufacturing expected to fall 0.4% in January weighed down by transport equipment, fabricated metals and chemicals respectively.

In addition production is expected to drop in February by 2.2% due to falls in electronic parts and devices, electrical machinery and general machinery.

The IMF forecasted yesterday in the World Economic Outlook Update report that global growth is expected to decelerate to 4.1% this year from 4.9% in 2007, a 0.3% decline from the October forecast.

The U.S. economic growth projection was revised downwards from 2.2% in 2007 to 1.5% in 2008, while China is expected to slow from 11.4% in 2008 to 10% and Europe to 1.6%. Latin America will grow at a slow pace at 4.3% in 2008 from 5.4% in 2007.

Of the Nikkei 225 index shares Electrical Industries led advancers with a rise of 8.55% followed by gains in Chiyoda Corporation of 6.83%, in Hino Motors Limited of 6.46%, in Mitsui OSK Lines of 5.93%, and of Advantest Corporation of 5.63%.

Shipping lines rose as well. Kawasaki Kisen jumped 2.47% and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding climbed 3.60%.

Consumer credit companies gained after Promise Company reported yesterday that third quarter net income rose to 13 billion yen from a 9.4 billion yen loss recorded a year ago in the same period. Credit Saison rose 2.64% and Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos soared 4.03%.

Sumco Corporation led declining Nikkei 225index shares with a drop of 7.82% followed by losses in Nisshin Seifun of 5.21%,in Hokuetsu Paper of 5.10%, in Toto Limited of 4.99%,and in Shin-Etsu Chemical of 4.79%.

Domestic related shares fell after METI reported that industrial production will decline in January and February.

Citigroup and Nikko Cordial announced in joint statement yesterday that Citigroup has completed the acquisition of Nikko through a share swap deal worth $4.8 billion at a rate of 0.602 Citigroup stock for each of the Japanese brokerage share. Also Douglas Peterson was announced as the new Chief Executive Officer and President.

The Nikkei news online reported today that Mizuho Securities Company will likely book a loss that is twice its November projections at 250 billion yen.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group reported yesterday that the company’s profit fell from 319.4 billion yen in the nine months to December from 396.05 billion yen the same time a year earlier. The company recorded a 99 billion loss in subprime related investments.

However it maintained its forecast for the fiscal year profit ending March 2008 at 570 billion yen. The stock closed up 2.66%.

Daihatsu Motors, which is 51% owned by Toyota, reported in a trading update that the company’s net income rose 42% to 7.9 billion yen in the quarter ended December 31 from 5.58 billion a year ago and raised its full year profit forecast 3.7% to 1.7 trillion yen.