HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks started Wednesday slightly lower following a healthy two-day run-up, with Wall Street providing a tepid lead though energy firms were given a lift by another surge in oil prices.

The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.18 percent, or 53.36 points to 29,414.64.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index inched up 1.61 points to 3,626.33, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange was also marginally higher, gaining 1.09 points to 2,430.66.