Shares end lower after Thursday turbulence

China’s A-share markets dipped on Thursday after many fluctuations, with technology sectors giving up early gains in afternoon trading.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.23 percent to end at 2,871.52 points, with investors more conservative compared with the previous day.

The smaller Shenzhen Component Index settled 0.18 percent lower at around 10,863.29, while the ChiNext Index dipped 0.16 percent to finish at 2,106.84 points.

The combined turnover of the two bourses shrank to 667.2 billion yuan (US$94 billion) from 721.1 billion yuan the previous day.

The market suffered broad-based losses, with electronics makers and communications companies among the top losers. Shares in STAR Market-listed semiconductor firm National Silicon Industry Group Co Ltd lost Wednesday’s gains to end 7.10 percent lower at 17.66 yuan.

Also on Thursday, China reported a rise in its dollar-denominated exports rose but a fall in imports in April.

Exports rose 8.2 percent year on year to 1.41 trillion yuan last month, compared with a drop of 11.4 percent in the first quarter, according to General Administration of Customs data.

Imports fell 10.2 percent to 1.09 trillion yuan in the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 318.15 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, China’s Caixin/Markit Services Purchasing Managers’ Index for April came in at 44.4, an improvement from the 43 reading in March.