PRESS DIGEST - Hong Kong - March 25

HONG KONG, March 25 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

-- Hong Kong's Mandatory Provident Fund managers would be able to invest in government bonds when they are issued later this year. They can invest under existing portfolios or create a new investment fund dealing only in the bonds, a government source said.

-- The initial public offering market in Hong Kong will be largely played out in the next two or three years since most of the mainland's large, quality companies have already sold shares in the 16 years since the door to overseas listings opened, according to UBS.

THE STANDARD

-- China will not be able to escape the effects of collapsing global trade, as the volume of exports worldwide is expected to plunge 9 percent this year, the World Trade Organisation warned on Tuesday.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES

-- PCCW (0008.HK), the city's dominant telecoms firm, and its major shareholder Pacific Century Regional Developments (PCEN.SI) said they had submitted evidence to the court and a hearing on a bid to take PCCW private would start on schedule on April 1.

APPLE DAILY

-- Hutchison Whampoa (0013.HK) is expected to report a decline in earnings of 37 to 58.5 percent for 2008 as the company has no exceptional gains from asset sales. However, the company is expected to maintain its final dividend at HK$1.73 a share, the same as for the past eight years.

HONG KONG DAILY NEWS

-- Beijing-based supermarket chain Wumart Stores (8277.HK) said the company was considering switching its listing to the mainboard from the GEM.

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