HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks started Wednesday morning on a tepid note following a recent run of gains, with Wall Street traders providing a soft lead as they await the release of key US jobs data later in the week.

The Hang Seng Index edged down 7.17 points to 25,871.82.

The Shanghai Composite was also barely moved, inching down 0.07 points to 3,543.87, while the Shenzhen Composite Index on China's second exchange added 0.08 percent, or 1.86 points, to 2,431.72.