Hong Kong Shares Ease Off 3-Month High

Hong Kong stocks slipped on Friday, ending four straight days of gains but only easing slightly from three-month highs as investors took profit ahead of the holiday weekend.

The market had opened firmer, underpinned by the Dow Jones Industrial Average holding above 20,000 points after breaching that level for the first time in the previous session.

The benchmark Hang Seng index slid 0.06 percent in a half-day session, to 23,360.78. The China Enterprises Index slid 0.51 percent, to 9,804.05 points.

The Hang Seng was up 2.1 percent for the week, and jumped 6.2 percent for the month. While the China Enterprises Index gained 0.9 percent for the week and was up 4.4 percent in January.

Utilities stocks led gains, with the Hang Seng utilities sub-index rising 1.2 percent. Power Assets rose 2.8 percent to its highest close since Oct. 6.

Chinese markets are shut for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday and will resume trade on Friday, Feb. 3.

The Hong Kong market will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for the Lunar New Year. Trading will resume on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

(Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)