* SSEC -0.37%, CSI300 -0.33%, HSI -1.16%
* Industrial firms weigh as profit growth slows
* Yuan firms to 6.7021 per dollar
SHANGHAI, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Chinese A-shares fell on Tuesday, weighed by industrial and consumer staple firms, after data showed a slowdown in industrial profit growth in September.
** At the midday break, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.37% at 3,239.03 points. ** China's blue-chip CSI300 index fell 0.33%, with its industrial sector sub-index down 0.87%. Financial shares slipped 0.71% and the consumer staples sector dipped 0.19%. ** Profits at China's industrial firms rose 10.1% in September year-on-year but growth slowed from August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday, as factory-gate deflation and rising raw materials costs undercut a recovery in the manufacturing sector. ** The smaller Shenzhen index fell 0.22%, while the start-up board ChiNext Composite index gained 0.54% and Shanghai's tech-focused STAR50 index added 1.01%. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong dropped 1.53% to 9,970.88, while the Hang Seng Index fell 1.16% to 24,629.93. ** That follows Wall Street sharp fall overnight as anxiety grew over new record daily COVID-19 cases in the United States and part of Europe and uncertainty about a U.S. coronavirus relief package. ** Investors in Hong Kong lined up to participate in Ant Group's initial public offering, putting the company on track to raise up to $34.4 billion in the world's largest stock market debut. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.7021 per U.S. dollar, 0.14% firmer than the previous close of 6.7118. ** This year, the Shanghai stock index is up 6.2% and the CSI300 has risen 14.1%, while China's H-share index listed in Hong Kong has fallen 10.7%. Shanghai stocks have risen 0.65% this month. (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
