Hong Kong Shares Extend Losses
2026-05-18 01:58
By
Nicole Aliyah
1 min. read
The Hang Seng Index fell 288 points, or 1.1%, to close at 25,675 on Monday, as investor sentiment deteriorated amid mounting concerns over slowing growth in China and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Markets came under pressure after data showed China’s economic momentum weakened in April, with industrial output and retail sales both missing expectations as higher energy costs.
Moreover, a drone attack sparked a fire at a nuclear facility in the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump called on Iran to act quickly in reaching an agreement with Washington.
Investors also grew cautious over the prospect of further monetary tightening by major central banks to contain inflation pressures fueled by rising energy prices.
Finance and technology-related shares led the decline.
Among notable laggards were Tencent Holdings (-2.1%), SMIC (-3.9%), Li Auto (-13.9%), Xiaomi (-0.7%), and Meituan Class (-1.0%).