Four-day streak ends at bourses

Stock markets on the Chinese mainland retreated from a fourth day upward streak after the Spring Festival Holidays on Thursday, held down by profit taking transactions.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index nudged down 11.55 points or 0.55 percent to 2,098.40 points on Thursday. The Shenzhen Component Index fell by 44.97 points or 0.57 percent to 7,857.11 points.

Combined turnover on the two bourses on Thursday was 302.13 billion yuan ($49.80 billion), up from Wednesday's 280.05 billion yuan.

Internet, intelligent devices, mobile games and media and entertainment firms weighed on the market on Thursday while banks, automa-kers and gold companies as well as shares related to environmental protection outperformed.

Stocks in China Citic Bank Corp jumped 9.29 percent to 4.95 yuan, leading the banking sector's gain of 1.85 percent on Thursday.

Shares linked to air pollution treatment climbed on Thursday following a government statement late on Wednesday quoting Premier Li Keqiang as saying that the government would set up a 10 billion yuan fund to fight air pollution.

Environmental equipment maker Create Technology and Science Co spiked 4.81 percent to 10.46 yuan on Thursday.

ChiNext, China's NASDAQ-style board for high-tech and fast-growing start-ups listed in Shenzhen, plunged 54.84 points or 3.56 percent from the previous trading day to 1,485.13 points.

Profit taking in technology and Internet firms led the fall on the board. Nantong Metalforming Equipment Co slid by the daily limit of 10 percent to 15.54 yuan while Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp declined by 6.57 percent to 46.65 yuan on Thursday.