20.03.202602:38:49UTC+00Hong Kong Markets Set for Third Weekly Decline

Hong Kong equities slipped 111 points, or 0.4%, to 25,392 in early Friday trading, extending the previous session’s losses as weakness in technology and consumer names weighed on the market. Sentiment stayed fragile following a negative lead from Wall Street overnight, with volatility in oil prices dampening expectations for imminent Fed rate cuts.

On the policy front, the People’s Bank of China held its key lending rates at record lows for a tenth consecutive month in March 2026, reflecting a cautious stance as tensions in the Middle East cloud the inflation outlook. At the same time, Beijing’s 2026 growth target of 4.5%–5%—the weakest since 1991—signals reduced urgency for broad-based stimulus.

Local markets are now on course for a third straight weekly decline, down roughly 0.3% so far. Additional pressure came from worries about Hong Kong’s IPO pipeline amid Beijing’s tighter scrutiny of Chinese companies incorporated offshore. Among the notable laggards were Xiaomi Corp. (-6.4%), Laopu Gold (-4.2%), China Unicom (-2.7%), and SITC International Holdings (-2.3%).