Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing CEO Bonnie Chan Yi-ting said HKEX will expand and enhance financial-product offerings of multi-assets, covering equities, derivatives, bonds and commodities, to lure global investors who are interested in Chinese assets.
HKEX, which operates the Hong Kong stock exchange, on Thursday posted record revenues and profit for the second consecutive year in 2025, fueled by trading and clearing-fee increases driven by record volumes across the cash, derivatives and commodities markets.
The stock operator’s profit attributable to shareholders surged 36 percent to HK$17.7 billion ($2.26 billion), while revenue and other income gained 30 percent, to HK$29.1 billion.
“We are confident that our efforts and investments in recent years will facilitate capital flows in the Chinese mainland and Asia more broadly, and between this region and the rest of the world,” Chan said Thursday at a news conference.
Chan said she is optimistic about capital markets this year as global investors are seeking diversification and risk-management opportunities in Asian, and specifically Chinese assets, amid the ongoing uncertainty of an increasingly multipolar world.
The HKEX CEO said the HKEX continues to make strategic investments to expand the multi-asset ecosystem, such as acquiring a 20 percent stake in CMU OmniClear and facilitating the launch of the first London Metal Exchange-approved warehouses in Hong Kong.
The multi-asset ecosystem envisioned by HKEX covers the trading of equities, derivatives, bonds and commodities. In the future, the bourse aims at launching more derivative products such as stock futures, fixed income and gold-related futures products, as well as option products related to commodities and individual stocks.
Chan said the exchange is exploring the development of a tokenized platform capable of supporting diverse assets, not just tokenized stocks or bonds, with the timetable of its launch depending on technological support and market demand.
“But it is not just about products. We also must ensure our markets are accessible if we want to fully capture the opportunity of global capital diversification,” she said. “Over the years, our investment in technology and market reform have helped us generate the liquidity that gas been attracting high-quality issuers and investors to our market.”
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In 2025, the average daily turnover (ADT) of equity and derivatives products traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange soared 90 percent to HK$249.8 billion. ADT of northbound trading of the Stock Connect programs jumped 42 percent to $212.4 billion yuan ($31.05 billion), while southbound trading ADT skyrocketed 151 percent to reach HK$121.1 billion. However, the ADT of Bond Connect northbound trading decreased 6 percent, to 39 billion yuan.
When delivering the 2026-27 Budget on Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po urged the HKEX to review its listing requirements to pave the way for aerospace enterprises to list in Hong Kong, to align capital market development with strategic innovation priorities. Paul Chan’s recommendation comes on the heels of the financial center regaining its crown as the world’s top fundraising venue in 2025.
Responding to whether the HKEX will revise the listing rule to facilitate listing of aerospace companies, Bonnie Chan said: ‘So far as the listing regime concerned, we tailored our listing requirements and our eligibility thresholds to meet the bespoke needs of companies from different sector such as pre-revenue biotechnology companies, SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies), and specialist technology companies. We will continue to roll out listing reforms, which will support the development of the real economy and take care of specific needs of different types of companies.”
The company declared the second interim dividend of HK$6.52 per share, swelling 33 percent year-on-year. Together with the first interim dividend, the whole year dividend per share was HK$12.52, representing an increase of 35 percent. Dividend payout ratio was maintained at 90 percent.
HKEX’s share price rose 0.78 percent to finish at HK$415.4 on Thursday.
