SHANGHAI: China stocks ended lower on Thursday, snapping three days of gains, as investors digested the local lending data and sought direction amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Hong Kong shares also fell.
China’s blue-chip CSI300 Index closed 0.9% lower, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.7%. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng shed 0.8%.
China’s new bank loans tumbled more than expected in April, as a protracted trade war with the United States further eroded the market’s appetite during a period that’s typically slow for loan demand.
Meanwhile, the country paused some non-tariff measures taken in April against U.S. entities - 17 on its unreliable entity list and 28 on its export control list, the commerce ministry said.
Chinese stocks have fully recovered losses incurred since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on April 2, driven by the trade truce with the U.S.
Artificial intelligence and defence shares traded onshore fell 2.4% and 1.8%, respectively.
Financial shares lift China and HK shares
Maritime shipping and ports stocks jumped on a temporary trade truce between the world’s two largest economies, with Nanjing Port and Lianyungang Port rising to an exchange-allowed daily maximum of 10%.
Tencent lost 0.2% despite its first-quarter revenue beating expectations.
Investors were awaiting Alibaba’s earnings reports, due later in the day.
Major drug developer Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals rose 1.5%, after a regulatory filing showed it wants to raise up to HK$9.89 billion ($1.27 billion) in a Hong Kong listing.
China cut the amount of cash banks must hold as reserves, known as the reserve requirement ratio, by 50 basis points on Thursday.
State media Securities Daily said there is more room for such cuts in the rest of the year, citing economists.
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