Fu Chenghao/Shanghai Daily news

Chinese shares, led by drugmakers and petrochemical firms, ended slightly lower yesterday to end four days of gains, dealers said.

The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks yuan-denominated A shares and foreign-currency B shares, edged down 0.16 percent to 1,123.56. The A-share Index also eased 0.16 percent to 1,181.51 while the B-share Index fell 0.50 percent to 59.95.

Turnover on the Shanghai bourse rose to 7.97 billion yuan (US$986 million) from 7.23 billion yuan on Wednesday.

The Shenzhen Composite Index that tracks China's smaller bourse lost 0.44 percent at 270.36.

Shanghai Pharmaceutical Co led the decline among drug firms on earnings concerns after the National Development and Reform Commission decided to set maximum ex-factory prices on 21 medicinal products. The shares tumbled 2.49 percent to 3.91 yuan.

Shanghai No.1 Pharmacy Co lost 1.65 percent to 3.57 yuan while Southwest Pharmaceutical Co eased 1.00 percent at 3.97 yuan.

The listed units of top Asian refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, also led the decline after their recent gains on speculation of a delisting move.

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co, China's top ethylene maker which had gained some 20 percent since late October, closed 1.57 percent off at 3.75 yuan. Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Co lost 2.10 percent to 7.94.

"Investors always focus much more on stocks such as the subsidiaries of Sinopec and Aluminum Corp of China," said Chen Qun, a West China Securities Co analyst.

However, their parent, Sinopec, added 0.45 percent to close at 4.44 yuan.

But yesterday's downturn was also offset by big caps like China United Telecommunications Corp. The country's smaller mobile carrier gained 1.48 percent to 2.74 yuan.

China Southern Airlines Co, the nation's biggest carrier by fleet, fell 0.76 percent to 2.60 yuan.