Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, which runs the city’s stock exchange, delivered exceptional results for the first half of 2026, with revenue and profit hitting half-yearly records, surpassing those set in the second half of last year.

The bourse’s profit attributable to shareholders reached HK$10.5 billion ($1.34 billion) in the first half of this year – up 24 percent from a year ago. Revenue and other income amounted to HK$16.7 billion – a gain of 19 percent from the previous year.

The company announced on Wednesday an annual increase of 24 percent in interim dividend per share to HK$7.43.

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The headline average daily trading (ADT) volume on the local stock exchange, including equity and derivatives products, surged 18 percent year-on-year to a record half-yearly high of HK$283 billion.

The ADT of northbound trading under the stock connect program swelled 1.02 times annually to $345.3 billion yuan ($51.2 billion), while that of southbound trading gained 11 percent to HK$123.1 billion. The northbound bond connect’s ADT surged four percent to 47.6 billion yuan.

HKEX’s strong interim results are backed by robust market sentiment, strong fundraising demand from technology and artificial intelligence-related companies, and active participation from Chinese mainland and international investors.

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There were 87 new listings in the first half, raising HK$212.4 billion, up 94 percent year-on-year.

“HKEX delivered a record first-half performance against a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainties and evolving geopolitical dynamics. These shifting conditions have underscored the importance of portfolio diversification, prompting a growing number of global investors to look toward Asia, including the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, as key destinations for long-term capital allocation,” HKEX Chairman Carlson Tong Ka-shing said.

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“Despite persistent macro and geopolitical uncertainties, the long-term opportunities for HKEX and Hong Kong remain compelling as global capital increasingly seeks access to the mainland’s innovation economy and Asia’s growth prospects,” HKEX Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Chan Yi-ting said.

Through market reforms, enhanced connectivity and the expansion of the multi-asset ecosystem, HKEX is well positioned to connect capital with opportunity and support investors’ evolving needs, while reinforcing the special administrative region’s role as a leading international financial center, she said.