Over 500 China-listed firms suspend trading on Wednesday

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Over 500 China-listed firms on Wednesday announced trading halts on the Shanghai, Shenzhen Exchange, an analysis of company statements showed, sharply increasing the number of firms looking to take shelter from China's stock market rout. The latest development comes as the country's securities regulator on Wednesday blamed "panic sentiment" for the bruising sell-offs. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)