Hong Kong stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday, even as tech giants including Alibaba and Tencent rose ahead of their earnings releases, while traders were also awaiting key US inflation data.

The Hang Seng Index dropped 0.2 percent, or 41 points, to 19,073.

The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.1 percent, or 2 points, to 3,145, while the Shenzhen Composite Index added 0.4 percent, or 6 points, to 1,773. (AFP)