China stocks end lower on lack of fresh support for property sector
Updates to market close
SHANGHAI, Oct 17(Reuters) -China and Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Thursday, as a lack of fresh stimulus from a closely-watched housing policy briefing left some investors disappointed.
China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC both ended lower by more than 1%. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng .HSI was down 1%.
China will expand a "white list" of housing projects eligible for financing and increase bank lending for such developments to 4 trillion yuan ($562 billion), Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said at a briefing.
"The briefing is mainly about implementing previously announced policies, including some already in operation," said Shi Jiangwei, analyst at Shanghai Minority Asset Management.
The planned 1 million houses in "urban villages" also undershot expectations, and pales in comparison with Beijing's large-scale shantytown renovation scheme launched in 2015，Shanghai Minority analysts said.
Property stocks traded in China .CSI000952 and Hong Kong .HSMPI tumbled 7.9% and 6.7%, respectively, reversing gains of the previous session.
Sentiment towards China's property sector has been a key gauge watched by stock investors as the world's second-largest economy is dealing with a downturn in the real estate market.
Property developer Sunac's 1918.HK discounted share sale also weighed on the property sector on Thursday. The embattled firm said it is seeking to raise HK$1.21 billion ($155.70 million) to repay its existing corporate debt. Sunac shares plunged 27%.
One of the few bright spots in the Chinese stock market was information technology .CSIITI, up nearly 1%.
Tech giants listed in Hong Kong .HSTECH dropped 1.2%, reversing gains made in the morning.
Market participants are now waiting for third-quarter GDP data and other key economic indicators to gain further insight into China's economic recovery.
Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu
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