LiveChina Markets Live - Shanghai and Shenzhen close sharply lower, Hong Kong ends touch easier

Welcome to the SCMP's live markets blog. The intense volatility of recent weeks has every chance of remaining the core underlying theme of activity, especially as the roughly 1,400 shares that were suspended at the peak of the stock market rout gradually resume trading - they are likely to be prime targets for price adjustments. Meanwhile investors are increasingly focused the broader question of how this episode might affect the wider economy as many suspect the equity bubble has yet to fully deflate. We'll bring you the key levels, trading statements, price action and other developments as they happen.

4:14pm: The Hang Seng Index retreated slightly by 0.26 per cent to close at 25,055.76, with HK$105 billion shares exchanging hands, down from Tuesday's HK$126 billion.

Shares in BOC Hong Kong jumped 2.8 per cent to a 5-day high of HK$31.45, while Cheung Kong Property Holdings added 1.77 per cent to a 10-day high of 66.25.

Extending the weakness from China's stock markets, the H-share index, a gauge of Hong Kong-listed mainland companies, declined 1.31 per cent to 11,681.20, dragged by downbeat performances seen in the share price of Citic Securities and Great Wall Motor, each of which dropped more than 5 per cent.

3:30pm: Datang Renewable Power is the best-performing H-share at the moment, sitting 6.48 per cent higher at HK$1.15.

Before today’s trading it announced an expected profit for the half, as compared to last year’s loss, and an increase in power generation of more than 20 per cent for the quarter.