HSI ends down 184 pts at 24,702; turnover at HK$79.9bn

    Hong Kong stocks closed lower on Tuesday in volatile trade despite the US equity markets registered record close overnight. The benchmark index opened 97 points higher which marked the intra-day high. It dipped in afternoon session after the Shanghai market index lost the 3,300 level.
  The Hang Seng Index ended down 184 points or 0.7% to 24,702 off an intra-day high of 24,984 and day low of 24,663. The H-share index fell 268 points or 2.2% to 11,945.
  Turnover rose slightly to HK$79.9 billion from HK$79.7 billion on Monday.
  By market close, the northbound quota balance of the "Shanghai-HK Connect" program was RMB12.359 billion, while the southbound quota balance was RMB10.241 billion, accounting for 95% and 97.5% of the daily allowed quotas respectively.
  Macau gaming authority said gross gaming revenues (GGR) in Macau plunged 48.6% to MOP19.5bn in February, the biggest decline since the data have been compiled. But casino operators were mostly higher. Galaxy Ent (00027) put on 2% to HK$40. It was the top blue chip winner. Sands China (01928) also rose 1.7% to HK$35.9. Wynn Macau (01128), which reports earnings tomorrow, ended up 2.42% to HK$21.15. MGM China (02282) soared 3.2% to HK$18.48. 
  Oil majors fell on lower crude prices on woes of rising inventory. PetroChina (00857) dipped 2.1% to HK$8.76. CNOOC (00883) and Sinopec (00386) slipped 1.1% to HK$11.06 and HK$6.43 respectively.
  China telecom carriers were all lower. China Unicom (00762), which reports earnings report tomorrow, ended down 2.2% to HK$12.38. China Mobile (00941) also fell 2.2% to HK$102.5. China Telecom (00728) slid 3.4% to HK$4.87.