Hong Kong stocks shed early gains to end lower on Thursday, as caution prevailed amid rising tensions in the Middle East following the threat of imminent US military action in Syria. The Hang Seng index closed down 0.2 percent at 30,831.28 points, while the China Enterprises Index ended 0.3 percent lower at 12,288.86.
The top gainer on Hang Seng was CNOOC Ltd, which ended 3.66 percent higher, while the biggest loser was Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, which closed down 2.88 percent. The top gainers among H-shares were CNOOC Ltd, which ended 3.66 percent higher, followed by PetroChina Co Ltd, which closed up 2.71 percent and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd that climbed 2.03 percent.