Hong Kong stocks open lower

The Hang Seng Index opened lower on Wednesday, dropping 74 points, or 0.32 percent, at 23,451. Mainland stocks opened mixed, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.08 percent at 3,605 and the Shenzhen Component Index 0.17 percent higher at 10,895. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei plummeted more than 3 percent and the US dollar slid, with markets anxiously watching the results of the US midterm elections. (Xinhua/AFP) Edited by Edmond Fong