Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) posted record revenue and profit for the second consecutive year in 2025, driven by higher trading and clearing fees on the back of surging market volumes.
Profit attributable to shareholders jumped 36 percent year-on-year to HK$17.7 billion, China Daily reports. The year saw market activity surge, with average daily turnover for equities and derivatives jumping 90 percent to HK$249.8 billion. Northbound Stock Connect trading rose 42 percent, while southbound turnover more than doubled, although Bond Connect northbound trading fell 6 percent during the year.
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HKEX CEO Bonnie Chan Ti-ting said the exchange operator was also ramping up plans to build a multi-asset trading ecosystem spanning equities, bonds, derivatives and commodities, seeking to capture global capital flows into Chinese assets amid rising geopolitical and market uncertainty.
She noted that global investors were increasingly looking to Asia – and China in particular – for diversification and risk management, creating an opportunity for Hong Kong to strengthen its role as a financial gateway. She said HKEX’s recent investments were designed to better connect capital between the Chinese mainland and international markets.
To support that strategy, HKEX has been expanding beyond equities, including acquiring a 20 percent stake in CMU OmniClear and enabling the launch of the first London Metal Exchange-approved warehouses in Hong Kong. The exchange is also planning new derivatives products, including stock futures, fixed-income instruments and gold-related products, alongside options linked to commodities and individual shares.
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In addition, Chan said HKEX was exploring a tokenised platform capable of supporting multiple asset classes – though she stressed that any rollout would depend on technological readiness and market demand.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan this week urged HKEX to review its listing rules to accommodate aerospace companies, following Hong Kong’s return to the top spot globally for fundraising in 2025. Chan said HKEX would continue tailoring listing regimes for different sectors, as it has done for biotechnology firms, special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and specialist technology companies.
