Hong Kong shares set for 2nd straight weekly loss

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Anhui Conch Cement, China Construction Bank , China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd, China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec) and CNOOC are among companies due to report corporate earnings later in the day.

On Thursday, the Hang Seng Index closed down 0.1 percent at 22,225.9. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong shed 0.3 percent. They are both headed for a second-straight weekly loss, each now down 1.4 and 0.7 percent so far in the week.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei was down 1.3 percent, while South Korea's KOSPI was off 0.1 percent at 0040 GMT.

FACTORS TO WATCH:

* Foxconn International Holdings Ltd (FIH), the world's biggest contract maker of cellphones, fell into the red in 2012 with a net loss of $316.4 million due to weak orders from some of its major customers. The company also announced a proposal to change its name to FIH Mobile Ltd.

* PetroChina Co Ltd, the country's largest oil and gas producer, reported a steeper-than-expected 13.3 percent drop in 2012 net profit on Thursday, due in part to ballooning losses at its natural gas import business.

* China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile carrier, on Thursday posted a net profit of 7.1 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) in 2012, up 68 percent from a year earlier and slightly beating estimates.

* Great Wall Motor, China's top manufacturer of sport utility vehicles, said 2012 net profit rose 66 percent to 5.7 billion yuan.

* Oil exporter Kunlun Energy Co Ltd said its 2012 net profit rose 16 percent to HK$6.5 billion.

* China International Marine Container Group Co Ltd posted a 47 percent fall in 2012 profit to 1.94 billion yuan.

* Standard Chartered bowed to pressure from U.S. authorities and apologized on Thursday for comments by the bank's chairman denying the bank had intentionally breached U.S.

sanctions on Iran.

* SouthGobi Resources Ltd said its flagship Ovoot Tolgoo coal mine resumed operations with plans to produce 3.2 million tonnes of semi-soft coking coal for the remainder of 2013.

* Beijing Enterprises Water Group Ltd said it would buy Portuguese private water operator Compagnie Générale des Eaux (Portugal) - Consultadoria e Engenharia, S.A for up to HK$1.01 billion in a bid to diversify its geographical presence by entering the European water sector.(Reporting by Clement Tan and Donny Kwok; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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