Hong Kong stocks slide

Hong Kong stocks fell for the first time in four days after the International Monetary Fund cut its global growth forecast. Casino shares and energy producers slid. Sands China Ltd. (1928) fell 3.9 per cent to lead declines after Wells Fargo & Co. lowered its estimate for Macau gaming revenue. Cnooc Ltd., China’s largest offshore energy explorer, declined 1.5 per cent as oil futures extended a 17-month low. HKT Trust & HKT Ltd. dropped 5.4 per cent on an investor selling the company’s shares at a discount. Agile Property Holdings Ltd. remained suspended from trading. The Hang Seng Index lost 0.8 per cent to 23,245.60 as of 1:08 p.m. in Hong Kong. The measure fell 2.6 per cent last week after police used tear gas and pepper spray to quell demonstrations. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, also known as the H-share index, slid 1 per cent to 10,369.94 today. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.3 per cent as mainland markets reopened today from a one-week holiday, according to bloomberg.com