Hong Kong shares closed at two-month lows on Monday, as investors fretted that a private preliminary factory survey due on Tuesday could provide more evidence of a slowdown in China.
The Hang Seng Index closed down 1.4 per cent at 23,955.49 points, the lowest close since July 22. The China Enterprises Index of the leading offshore Chinese listings in Hong Kong was down 1.7 per cent.
If the HSBC China September flash manufacturing PMI reading on Tuesday is below 50, that will indicate that factory activity is contracting.
Index heavyweights were battered on Monday, with Tencent Holdings down 3.3 per cent while PetroChina shed 2.5 per cent.
Shares of Prada SpA, for which China is an pivotal market, dived 6.3 per cent to their lowest in 26 months after the company reported late on Friday that first-half profit fell 21 per cent.
China Galaxy Securities skidded 5.5 per cent after the brokerage said its chief officer for fixed income and two other employees had been asked to cooperate with a judicial authority regarding personal matters.