Chinese equities Thursday fell for the first time after seven days of rises, dropping 0.73 percent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.73 percent, or 21.38 points to finish at 2,924.88. The Shenzhen Component Index fell 1.33 percent, or 160.20 points, to end at 11,887.02. Combined turnover shrank to 190.76 billion yuan (27.93 billion U.S. dollars) from 248.45 billion yuan on the previous trading day. Losers outnumbered gainers by 239 to 611 in Shanghai and 199 to 541 in Shenzhen. Most investors were cautious as China is to publish macroeconomic data for August on Friday. Analysts said the Chinese market was influenced by the U.S. Federal Reserve statement Tuesday that U.S. consumer credit had plunged by a record 21.6 billion dollars, or 10.4 percent, in July. Most of the heavy weights fell. Sinopec, China's leading oil refiner, dropped 1.91 percent to 11.82 yuan. PetroChina, the country's largest oil producer, dropped 0.59 percent to 13.40 yuan. CITIC Securities Co., Ltd. dropped 2.59 percent to 26.71 yuan. Analysts said central bank measures helped relieve investors' worries on liquidity. The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, said Wednesday it would issue 80 billion yuan of three-month central bank bills Thursday. The PBOC had already floated 95 billion yuan worth of the bills on September 3. 