At closing bell, the benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 0.57%, or 166.15 points, to 28,827.95. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.87%, or 93.91 points, to 10,663.39. The Hang Seng Index logged a 1.1% decline in June, its first loss since March.
The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking the commerce & industry sector fell 0.7%, the finance sector fell 0.3%, the properties sector shed 1.02%, and the utilities sector fell 0.23%.
China's official manufacturing PMI edged down to 50.9 in June from 51.0 a month earlier, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This was the weakest pace of expansion in factory activity since February, amid high raw material costs and port disruptions in the export province of Guangdong. It remained above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. New export orders fell for a second consecutive month in June and at a faster pace, likely due to the global resurgence of COVID-19 variants, forcing some countries to re-impose lockdowns.
Hengan International led declines among blue chips, falling 4.4% to HK$52. China Resources Land dropped 3.4% to HK$31.45, while Geely Automobile declined 3.4% to HK$24.45.
Ping An Insurance slid 0.7% to HK$76.05 after it announced plans to acquire stakes in six Raffles City properties from Singapore's CapitaLand for up to US$5.1 billion.
AIA Group advanced 0.8% to HK$96.50 after the insurer agreed to pay US$1.86 billion for a stake in the life insurance arm of the China Post Group. Moody's Investors Service said the acquisition was credit positive as it enhances AIA's market reach in China.
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