Central News Agency (CNA, reporter Chang Chien, Hong Kong, July 1) As authorities celebrate the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover, local media today summarized the performance of the Hong Kong stock market in the first half of the year: the Hang Seng Index fell by 10.7%, making it the worst performer among major stock markets in Asia and even globally. According to reports from various newspapers, the Hong Kong stock market fell by 145 points on the last trading day of the first half of 2026, closing at 22881 points. The cumulative decline for the half-year was 2749 points, a drop of 10.7%. In June alone, the Hang Seng Index fell by 2301 points or 9.1%, marking the worst June performance in nearly 18 years. Statistics show that in the first half of the year, major Asian stock markets performed well, with the Korea Composite Index rising by more than 100% cumulatively, the Taiwan Weighted Index rising by 59.2% cumulatively, the Nikkei Average Index rising by 39.2% cumulatively, and the Singapore Straits Times Index rising by 11.3% cumulatively. Furthermore, the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China rose by 3.2% cumulatively in the half-year, while only the Hang Seng Index declined by 10.7%. In the Hong Kong stock market, both stock analysts and individual investors have long held the saying, "Poor in May, desperate in June, rebound in July." This June, the Hong Kong stock market indeed fell into despair, dropping more than 2000 points in a single month; whether it can "rebound" as hoped in July remains an unknown. Sing Tao Daily today quoted Wu Lixian, a securities strategist at Everbright Securities International, as saying that after the adjustment in the first half of the year, Hong Kong stock valuations are at a low level. After the "desperate June," the short-term rebound target for the Hang Seng Index is 23800 to 24000 points, and it could rise to 28000 points for the full year. Zhao Yingyan, an equity investment strategist in the integrated wealth