* HK stocks rise slightly; Ping An advances, Esprit slumps
* Shanghai slips as IPO pipeline weighs
* Hang Seng Index faces resistance at 200-day moving average
* Regional markets edge up ahead of key U.S. jobs data (Updates to midday)
By Vikram S Subhedar and Farah Master
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Sept 3 (Reuters) - China's key stock index slipped in lacklustre trade on Friday morning as upcoming share offerings raised liquidity concerns and as investors pocketed quick gains after the previous session's rally.
The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.5 percent to 2,643.5 points with financials leading losses.
Analysts expect supply of new shares and uncertainty over economic data in the coming weeks to keep the index trading in a narrow range below 2,700 points, a level the index has repeatedly failed to breach in the past month.
"Investors are focusing on liquidity," said Ren Chengde, analyst at Galaxy Securities. "Uncertainty over the economy is still causing blue chip companies to fall, along with worries about further property policies."
Ningbo Port, which competes with bigger rival Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd, joined the list of companies looking to raise capital via initial public offerings.
The company said on Thursday it was launching an IPO in Shanghai to raise around 13 billion yuan ($1.91 billion).
Financials were the biggest weight on the index with Everbright Bank Co Ltd down 0.6 percent, China Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd down 0.9 percent and Bank of Nanjing Co Ltd down 2.7 percent.
China's state-owned banks reported an increase in "special-mention" loans in the second quarter, raising concern over asset quality despite declining bad loan ratios, the China Securities Journal reported on Friday.
HK FIRM AS PING AN EXTENDS GAIN
Hong Kong shares edged higher on Friday morning, ahead of key jobs data from the United States, although a weak mainland market and looming technical resistance limited gains.
The Hang Seng Index ended the morning up 0.06 percent at 20,882.14 as it looks to post its third successive weekly gain. The index faces strong resistance at its 200-day moving average, currently at 20,954.6.
Retailer Esprit Holdings Ltd slumped 5.2 percent to a 16-month low after Asia's No.3 apparel retailer posted weaker-than-expected earnings and forecast a challenging wholesale market ahead.
"We see no growth drivers for the company in the medium term and it appears to be a loser amid intense competition," said William Lo, an analyst at Ample Finance Group. "I would switch to other retailers."
Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd, which resumed trading on Thursday after more than two months, rose 4.5 percent in high volume after the company outlined details of its plan to acquire a controlling stake in Shenzen Development Bank.
The deal, which analyst say could boost Ping An's earnings per share by as much as 9 percent, is part of the company's foray into a broader range of financial services.
Excluding warrants, turnover in Ping An shares comprised almost 50 percent of overall turnover on the exchange, traders at Standard Chartered said in a note to clients, suggesting investors were still cautious.
Regional markets edged higher as market players remained tentative about the all-important U.S. jobs data that tends to swing markets, with some speculating that Thursday's gains had already factored in any possible positive surprise from the data. ($1=6.807 Yuan) (Editing by Chris Lewis)