Hang Seng Index futures close 0.22% lower at 23,602

The split between the benchmark and tech futures is the detail worth noting: the tech contract's larger decline suggests positioning is skewing away from growth names rather than reflecting broad index-level caution. As overnight derivatives moves ahead of the cash open, this is more a signal of sentiment than of fundamentals, and the gap between the two contracts is the thing to track. Whether that tech underperformance carries into the cash session or fades at the open remains the open question.