HONG KONG’S stock market capitalization, at about HK$24.7 trillion at the end of 2015, ranked eighth in the world and fourth in Asia. At the end of the year, 1,866 public companies were listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK), representing a wide range of industries from finance and property to resources and telecommunications.

In 2015, the SEHK ranked first worldwide in terms of initial public offering (IPO) equity funds raised, at HK$263 billion. In addition to new share issues, another HK$853 billion was raised on the secondary market, ranked third globally. Daily turnover reached a record high of HK$105.6 billion, a 52 percent increase compared to 2014. Moreover, the turnover of securitized derivatives at the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) has ranked first in the world since 2007. At the end of 2015, 951 mainland enterprises were listed on the SEHK, raising HK$5.1 trillion from the Hong Kong market since 1993.

Hong Kong is also a listing destination for international companies. Funds raised by international and mainland companies represented 94 percent of IPO equity funds raised in 2015. The Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited (HKFE) operates a futures market. Total turnover of derivatives contracts in 2015 was 190 million, the highest ever and an increase of 33.3 percent from 2014, largely driven by strong trading in stock options and index futures and options. Open interest at year end was 7.3 million contracts. As an international and open market, Hong Kong attracts many intermediaries from other markets to set up companies locally and most international brokerages have branches in the city.

At the end of 2015, 27.2 percent of the 515 SEHK trading participants were from the mainland or overseas markets, and 50.3 percent of the 179 HKFE trading participants were from those markets.