Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEC, 0388.HK), which operates the Hong Kong stock market, said it is considering extending trading hours to synchronize with mainland markets, Bloomberg reported. The exchange is proposing that the trading day begin 30 minutes earlier at 9:30 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. The current two-hour lunch break would be trimmed to a one-hour break at noon. Changing trading hours would be a further step toward integrating mainland markets with the rest of the world, by HKEC CEO Charles Li said Hong Kong is also hoping for the internationalization of the renminbi and restoration of the proposed "through train" program that would have allowed mainland citizens to invest in Hong Kong stocks directly. HKEC also hopes to become an offshore renminbi center for competitive reasons. HKEC reported a 3% increase in first half net profit. H1 listing fees were US$54 million, a 30% increase year-on-year.
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