12.03.202608:22:44UTC+00Hang Seng Closes 0.7% Lower

The Hang Seng Index fell 182 points, or 0.7%, to close at 25,717 on Thursday, marking its second consecutive decline. The drop tracked a sharp sell-off in U.S. equity futures as Iran intensified attacks on oil and transport infrastructure across the Middle East, warning that the world should prepare for oil prices of USD 200 per barrel, in direct defiance of President Trump’s claim that the U.S. had already won the conflict.

In Hong Kong, regulators announced on Thursday that they had launched an insider trading investigation involving two brokerages and a hedge fund, arresting eight individuals in what they described as the most significant enforcement action against the financial sector in recent years.

All sectors finished lower, with property and financial shares among the biggest losers, mirroring weakness in mainland Chinese markets. Cathay Pacific slipped 1.6% after announcing it would raise fuel surcharges on all routes from March 18, citing geopolitical risks. Swire Properties declined 1.2% following the resignation of its chief financial officer. Other notable decliners included Knowledge Atlas (-9.2%), Nongfu Spring (-4.5%), and Henderson Land Development (-3.7%).