HONG KONG (Nikkei Markets) -- Hong Kong shares slipped by the end of a choppy morning session on Thursday, as investors digested a jump in coronavirus cases out of China after new diagnostic criteria were used to confirm infections.
The Hang Seng Index lost 0.1% to 27,784.07 by noon after changing directions at least nine times. Insurers AIA Group and Ping An Insurance Group fell 0.9% each, contributing the most to the index's losses by points. Social media and gaming heavyweight Tencent Holdings added 1.1%, while London-headquartered lender HSBC Holdings edged 0.5% higher.