Hong Kong, China stocks end lower SHARES in Hong Kong and Shanghai have ended lower as early gains were wiped out by profit-taking and concerns over China's economy following disappointing data at the weekend. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 0.87 per cent, or 200.22 points, on Tuesday to end at 22,890.60 on turnover of HK$69.14 billion ($A8.72 billion). Beijing said on Saturday that inflation hit a 10-month high of 3.2 per cent in February while growth in industrial output and retail sales slowed. Inflation is a key issue for the ruling Communist Party as it raises the chances of popular discontent over climbing prices and the threat of social unrest. Investors are also worried the government will unveil more tightening measures to temper the rising cost of living. The results, which follow a string of unimpressive data in recent months, have dampened recent optimism for the economy, which had shown signs of a resurgence at the tailend of 2012 after spending much of it enduring slowing growth. Concerns over China offset a fifth straight record close for the Dow Jones index on Wall Street, which was boosted by better-than-expected jobs figures on Friday. "Confidence in China's growth recovery has taken a setback after the latest economic data," Sun Hung Kai Financial wealth-management strategist Daniel So told Dow Jones Newswires. There is a lot of wait and see going on. Investors are eyeing blue-chip results for trading cues; waiting for the conclusion of the National People's Congress on (March 17) for some policy clarity. Hong Kong railway operator MTR Corp fell 2.3 per cent to HK$31.95 after reporting 2012 underlying profit declined 6.6 per cent. China Cosco, the mainland's largest shipping company by fleet size, slumped 5.3 per cent to HK$4.08. Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit surged 33.7 per cent to HK$1.31 on its trading debut. The firm's 100 million-share offering was oversubscribed more than 1,000 times. Chinese shares fell 1.04 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 23.98 points to end at 2,286.61 on turnover of 100.6 billion yuan ($A15.84 billion). Financial stocks led the declines. Industrial Bank dropped 2.83 per cent to 18.55 yuan while China Everbright Securities fell 1.42 per cent to 13.92 yuan. China Life Insurance lost 1.68 per cent to 17.58 yuan, while wastewater treatment firm Beijing Capital dropped 1.85 per cent to 6.91 yuan and pollution control equipment maker Fujian Longking lost 1.70 per cent to 38.23 yuan. Media firms were lower on profit-taking. Zhejiang Daily Media Group lost 4.45 per cent to 15.23 yuan. China Animal Husbandry Industry lost 3.62 per cent to 14.65 yuan, while Inner Mongolia Jinyu fell 4.04 per cent to 18.76 yuan.