Chinese shares close lower Wednesday

BEIJING - Chinese stocks closed lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.76 percent, at 3,597.14 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 1.18 percent lower at 14,857.91 points.

The combined turnover of stocks covered by the two indices stood at 1.01 trillion yuan ($158.8 billion), down from 1.05 trillion yuan the previous trading day.

Shares related to electricity and coal led the gains, while those in the steel and medical equipment sectors were among the biggest losers.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's NASDAQ-style board of growth enterprises, lost 1.73 percent to close at 3,243.02 points Wednesday.