Lawmakers have urged Hong Kong’s stock market operator to quicken its listing reform and other programmes as a way to enhance its market competitiveness and cope with market upheavals induced by a new round of global trade war.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) should implement changes to its listing rules and other improvement plans as soon as possible, lawmakers said in a monthly financial affairs panel at the Legislative Council on Monday, against the backdrop of a global market sell-off.
“The volatile global markets may provide new opportunities for the Hong Kong IPO [initial public offering] market,” said Jeffrey Lam, a member of the city’s Executive Council. “HKEX should speed up the listing approval process and carry out more listing reforms to attract more new listings from leading companies of different markets.”
The Hang Seng Index sank 13 per cent to 19,828 on Monday in the worst rout since October 1997. Other Asian markets slumped by 4 per cent to 8 per cent. Markets crashed after China imposed a tit-for-tat 34 per cent tariff on US goods, following President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” package against all its trading partners.
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US tariff storm disrupts global business expansions, but some see opportunities
US tariff storm disrupts global business expansions, but some see opportunities
“The Hong Kong stock market has been very volatile, while we also found the initial public offerings were robust in the first quarter,” Lam said. “Leading companies on the mainland and some overseas companies may consider listing in Hong Kong as the city’s market performance is more stable.”
Joseph Chan Ho-lim, Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, said the Hong Kong market was trading smoothly despite the volatility. The HKEX reforms have the backing of the government, he added.
