Hong Kong shares to open down 1.2 pct, property drags

HONG KONG Feb 21 (Reuters) - Hong Kong shares were set to open lower on Thursday, with property stocks leading the slide following Beijing's latest move to curb frothy real estate markets.

Belle International Holdings Ltd, China's top footwear retailer, dropped 12.9 percent after saying it expected its 2012 net profit would be marginally higher than in 2011, and would be at the lower end of a range of estimates contained in certain analysts' reports.

The Hang Seng Index was set to open down 1.2 percent at 23,026.18. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings was indicated to start down 1.5 percent.