Slowdown, corporate earnings weigh on trading

China's main stock index slipped 0.52 percent yesterday, led by brokerage shares, as worries about the outlook for corporate earnings growth and the slowing economy weighed on sentiment.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index ended at 1719.774 points.

Turnover in Shanghai A shares shrank to a fresh seven-week low of 23.1 billion yuan, down from Friday's already light 25.1 billion, reflecting investors' wariness of the weak market. Losing stocks outnumbered gainers by 626 to 278.