PRESS DIGEST - Hong Kong - Feb 4

HONG KONG, February 4 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES

-- Listed REIT firm The Link 0823.HK has seen a high staff turnover rate and it is said to have deferred bonus payments to managerial staff by five months in a bid to retain employees.

APPLE DAILY

-- Commercial space rental is still on the uptrend. Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) does not think rental rates for prime offices will drop because vacancy levels are at an all-time low. Developer Wharf (0004.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) predicts its two shopping arcades will record double-digit growth in rental income this year as the retail market remains strong.

SING TAO DAILY

-- Standard & Poor's estimates the extra provisioning by Bank of China (3988.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on the subprime mortgage problem should not exceed US$3.4 billion even in the worst case scenario.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

-- China Merchants Bank (3968.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) plans to take a small stake in Visa by buying shares in the United States credit card company's forthcoming US$10 billion IPO, market sources said.