Hong Kong stocks down by break

HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks fell in the morning session Friday, with casino operators battered by a report saying officials had halved the amount of cash mainland Chinese gamblers were allowed to withdraw from ATMs in the gaming city of Macau.

The Hang Seng Index shed 0.28 percent, or 63.90 points, to 22,797.94 by the break.

But the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.69 percent, or 22.21 points, to 3,237.58 while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, was up marginally, adding 0.66 points to 2,078.03