HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks fell again at the start of business on Friday, in line with losses in New York and across most of Asia, as traders await a key speech later in the day by Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell.

The Hang Seng Index slipped 0.31 percent, or 78.14 points, to 25,337.55.

The Shanghai Composite shed 0.21 percent, or 7.25 points, to 3,494.42, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange lost 0.31 percent, or 7.59 points, to 2,429.56.