Hong Kong stocks close slightly lower

HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks finished Friday with their first loss of the new year, with traders tracking a retreat on Wall Street ahead of a key US jobs report later in the day.

The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.29 percent, or 60.53 points, to 20.991.64, having piled on more than six percent in the previous three trading days.

The Shanghai Composite Index edged up 0.08 percent, or 2.42 points, to 3,157.64, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China’s second exchange put on 0.17 percent, or 3.38 points, to 2,040.53.