Hong Kong Stock Exchange Marks 40 Years Amid Chip Boom and IPO Competition
The Hong Kong stock market marked its 40th anniversary on Thursday, celebrated with a ceremonial gong strike in Central. Valued at $6.1 trillion, the milestone honors the 1986 merger establishing the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK), which listed Cathay Pacific as its first company. The event took place at the historic Exchange Square, featuring brokers in traditional attire alongside Cathay Pacific flight attendants dressed in classic 1980s costumes. Carlson Tong Ka-shing, chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, highlighted the exchange's role in fostering integrity and innovation amid competition in the IPO landscape from both the US and mainland markets.
Key facts
- Hong Kong stock exchange valued at US$6.1 trillion
- 40th anniversary of the merger of Hong Kong’s four stock exchanges into SEHK
- Ceremony held at former trading hall in Exchange Square
- Brokers wore red jackets, Cathay Pacific flight attendants in retro uniforms
- Cathay Pacific was first company to list on unified bourse in May 1986
- HKEX became holding company in 2000
- Exchange faces memory chip supercycle and IPO competition from US and mainland China
- Carlson Tong is HKEX chairman, Bonnie Chan is CEO
Entities
Institutions
- Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK)
- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX)
- Cathay Pacific Airways
Locations
- Hong Kong
- Exchange Square
- Central