HK stocks seen lower, China Mobile may fall
HONG KONG, May 26 (Reuters) - Hong Kong stock are expected to fall on Monday, tracking weak overseas markets, as soaring oil prices rekindle worries over inflation and its impact on global economic growth.
Beijing kicked off a long-awaited restructuring in the
country's telecommunications sector last week and China Mobile
(0941.HK) is likely to see continued selling pressure on fears
that competition will intensify after the reshuffle, analysts
said.
Goldman Sachs cut its rating on China Mobile on Monday to sell from neutral.
China Mobile looks to be heading into a uniquely unfavourable regulatory regime, with policies like inter-operator roaming seriously threatening its many advantages, the bank said.
Trading in other Chinese telecom stocks including China Telecom (0728.HK), China Netcom 0906.HK and China Unicom (0762.HK), has been suspended since Friday pending further statements.
"The market is likely to fall 300 points today as record oil prices will affect the world's economy," said Francis Lun, general manager at Fulbright Securities.
But telecom gears manufacturer ZTE (0763.HK) and service provider, China Communications Services Corp (0552.HK), could rise on hopes that they will benefit from China's development of high-speed third-generation mobile phone services following the sector restructuring.
The benchmark Hang Seng index .HSI fell 1.3 percent to 24,714.07 on Friday.
The China Enterprises Index of Hong Kong-listed mainland companies .HSCE, or H shares, also closed 1.3 percent lower at 13,636.41. ----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 0002 GMT ------------
INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 .SPX 1375.93 -1.32% -18.420 USD/JPY JPY= 103.16 -0.13% -0.130 10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.8501 -- 0.000 SPOT GOLD XAU= 925.8 0.17% 1.600 US CRUDE CLc1 132.36 0.13% 0.170 DOW JONES .DJI 12479.63 -1.16% -145.99 ASIA ADRS .BKAS 161.09 -1.90% -3.12 -------------------------------------------------------------
FACTORS TO WATCH: * Nikkei down 1 pct as exporters drag on yen [.T] * Record oil fuels markets' worst week in 3 months [.N] * Asian shares seen falling on oil worries [STXNEWS/AS] * Oil extends gains on supply concerns, weak dollar [O/R] * Dollar eases towards 1-mth lows in thin trade [USD/] * For upcoming Hong Kong events, click on [HK/DIARY] * For Hong Kong press digest, click on [PRESS/HK]
STOCKS TO WATCH:
* Henderson Land's (0012.HK) chairman Lee Shau Kee confirmed that he had lent HK$3 billion to Yeung Kwok Keung, chairman of Country Garden (2007.HK), funding part of his purchase of a stake in Hong Kong's Television Broadcasts (TVB) (0511.HK), Hong Kong's Cable TV reported on Sunday.
* China Life Insurance (2628.HK) said it would inject 1.2 billion yuan in capital into its property and casualty insurance unit China Life P&C Company, a move to strengthen the unit's capital base to face the increasingly competitive environment in the rapidly growing non-life insurance market. For details please see here
* China Mobile (0941.HK) said Wang Jianzhou remained as president of the parent company, China Mobile Communications Corp (CMCC), and vice secretary of CPC Committee following reform of the structure of the telecommunications sector. For details please see here
* China Unicom (0762.HK) said it was in talks on the disposal of its CDMA business to China Telecom Corp (0728.HK) and a merger with China Netcom Group Corp. Trading in shares of the company will remain suspended pending a further statement. For details please see here (Editing by Anne Marie Roantree)
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