Hong Kong equities inched up on Thursday on upbeat data from the US jobs market and services sector. However, traders remained cautious ahead of the ECB policy decision due later in the day. Sending Hong Kong shares lower, Asian Development Bank reduced its China GDP expansion forecast from 8.5% to 7.7% for 2012. The Hang Seng Index gained 0.09% to close at 20,907.95. Only three sectors within the index climbed. The top-gainers were consumer goods and technology. China Resources Enterprise and Tingyi Cayman Islands Holding added 3.21% and 0.86% while Tencent Holdings advanced 0.30%. Financials also jumped, with Bank of Communication and China Construction Bank gaining 1.71% and 0.18%. Weighting down on the Hong Kong equity index, oil and gas firms and consumer services slumped. CNOOC and PetroChina plunged 1.64% and 0.59% amid weak energy prices. Among consumer services, Sands China retreated 3.52% as Macau gambling revenue was lower than expected last month.