Hong Kong stocks close 0.76% lower

HONG KONG, March 17 (Chinese media) -- Hong Kong stocks lost 98.62 points, or 0.76

percent, to close at 12,878.09 on Tuesday.

Turnover rose to 49.00 billion HK dollars (6.28 billion U.S. dollars)

from Monday's 46.7 billion HK dollars (5.99 billion U.S. dollars).