Hong Kong stocks close lower

Hong Kong's stock market ended lower on Wednesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index down 0.38 percent to close at 25,830.65 points.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 0.26 percent to end at 9,151.04 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index dipped 0.69 percent to 5,606.9 points.

Mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations in China's A-share market have picked up markedly since the start of the year, with deals disclosed in the first quarter up over 80 percent year on year, led by strong momentum in hard-tech sectors.

Data from Wind Information, a China financial data provider, showed that by Tuesday, listed companies had announced 829 merger, acquisition, and reorganization deals, with 224 on the ChiNext board and 94 on the STAR Market. By sector, "hard technology" sectors, represented by semi-conductor and smart manufacturing, have emerged as the most active areas.

"Hard-tech sectors typically feature rapid technological iteration, heavy research and development investment and long industrial chains, with significant economies of scale. Given these features, industrial mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations have been a key tool for hard-tech companies to strengthen supply chain resilience and competitiveness. In addition, China's related policies, dubbed 'Six Measures for Mergers and Acquisitions,' explicitly support listed companies in carrying out mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations around strategic emerging industries and future industries, while moderately increasing regulatory tolerance for unprofitable assets. This has created more favorable institutional conditions and a better market environment for listed companies in the hard-tech sectors to accelerate industrial upgrading and strengthen independent innovation," said Chen Jie, head of Mergers and Acquisitions Group at the investment banking division of China International Capital Corporation.

Chen also noted that the surge in mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations has been reshaping valuation dynamics in the A-share market. As integration and synergies take time to materialize, investors are increasingly shifting their focus from short-term sentiment to long-term value based on business logic. At the same time, sustained mergers and acquisitions activity is expected to support the revaluation of leading companies.

"Through consolidation and expansion, leading A-share firms are likely to see their core competitiveness and long-term growth prospects become more evident. This will help the market better recognize their intrinsic value, offering higher valuation, and contribute to a more rational and mature valuation system overall," said Chen.