HONG KONG, Nov 4 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

-- Fewer late or default payments were reported by Hong Kong businesses in the third quarter as market conditions and consumer demand improved gradually, according to a survey conducted by credit insurer Coface.
-- Listing hopeful Fantasia Holdings, a Shenzhen-based developer aiming to raise US$400 million in a Hong Kong IPO, has secured Joseph Lau, chairman of Chinese Estates Holdings , as a cornerstone investor, a source familiar with the deal said.

-- China appears to be toning down its demands ahead of key iron ore talks to agree on a benchmark price, with miners and the China Iron and Steel Association expecting to see a moderate rise in the price of iron ore next year, contrasting with comments at an industry conference last month demanding a cut in the benchmark price agreed with main suppliers BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Vale.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL

-- Listing candidate China Minsheng Banking Corp is set to pick six cornerstone investors among 13 interested parties, including China Investment Corporation, Ping An Insurance, Zijing Mining and China Overseas Land, to subscribe to up to HK$6.24 billion (US$805 million) worth of the bank's shares in its Hong Kong initial public offering, according to industry sources.

-- China Mingsheng Banking Corp intends to price shares in its Hong Kong IPO at HK$9-10 each, representing a price-to-book multiple of 1.78-1.98 times its book value next year, said institutional investors after attended a roadshow conducted by the bank.
-- Dongfeng Motor Group said net profit for the first nine months of the year totalled 4.63 billion yuan ($678.2 million) based on Chinese accounting standards. It gave no comparison figures.

-- China Overseas Land sold 4.3 million square meters of property in the first 10 months of this year, generating 38 billion yuan ($5.57 billion) in sales revenue and achieving its full-year sales target earlier than planned, said chairman Kong Qing-ping.

-- Hong Kong confirmed the first H9 infection this year in the territory after a 47-year-old woman from across the border in Shenzhen with flu symptoms was admitted to a Hong Kong hospital on Oct. 28. The patient is quarantined and in stable condition.

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($1=HK$7.75=6.827 Yuan) Keywords: HONGKONG PRESS

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