Chinese hot pot shares fell yesterday in Hong Kong after members of the same family who shared a large dinner last month were confirmed to have the 2019 novel coronavirus.
Shares of Xiabuxiabu Catering Management China Holdings Co (呷哺呷哺餐飲管理), a major hot pot restaurant operator, fell as much as 8.3 percent before closing down 7.1 percent.
Peer Haidilao International Holding Ltd (海底撈國際控股) shares closed 4.8 percent lower, while those of Yihai International Holding Ltd (頤海國際控股), which makes seasonings and sauce products for hot pot, dropped 2.7 percent.
Nine of 19 people who joined a family gathering on Jan. 26 have been infected with the coronavirus after sharing a hot pot and barbecue meal, the Hong Kong Department of Health said on Sunday.
The hot pot sector was a strong spot for the struggling Hong Kong Stock Market last year.
Yihai was one of the Hang Seng Composite Index’s best-performing shares with a 139 percent surge, while Haidilao shares rose 82 percent.
Both are near last year’s closing levels, while Xiabuxiabu shares have fallen 22 percent this year, making it one of the index’s biggest decliners.
Hong Kong shares yesterday closed lower with investors concerned about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
The Hang Seng Index slid 0.59 percent to close at 27,241.34 points, while China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.5 percent at 2,890.49 points.
Additional reporting by AFP
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