Chinese stocks fall, key index down 1.17% -- July 5

BEIJING -- China's stocks extended losses from the previous day to end lower on Thursday, with brokerages and cement producers leading the drop.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.17 percent, or 25.96 points, to close at 2,201.35.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed at 9,412.64, down 1.64 percent, or 156.52 points.

Losers outnumbered gainers by 858 to 90 in Shanghai, and by 1,256 to 213 in Shenzhen.

Aggregate turnover came in at 111.6 billion yuan ($17.71 billion), down from 115.35 billion yuan the previous trading day.

Cement producers fell hardest, with the entire board plunging nearly 5 percent, after Hong Yuan Securities Co forecast a continued drop in domestic cement prices this week.

Cement prices in Tianjin, Hebei and Henan are expected to fall by 10 to 60 yuan per ton this week, according to a report from the brokerage.

Tangshan Jidong Cement Co fell by the 10-percent daily limit to close at 12.52 yuan per share, while the Zhejiang Jianfeng Group dropped 8.56 percent to finish at 11.01 yuan per share.

Brokerage shares posted lackluster performance on growing concerns over a continued slowdown in China's economic growth.

Analysts said a slew of economic indicators, which are due to be released next week, will show that the world's second-largest economy expanded at a slower pace in the second quarter than in the first one.

Citic Securities Co, the country's largest brokerage, fell 2.72 percent to finish at 12.18 yuan per share, while its rival Southwest Securities Co closed at 10.32 yuan per share, down 7.61 percent.