HKEX Profit, Revenue Rise as Trading Activity Grows

By Kimberley Kao

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing's quarterly net profit and revenue rose as strong market sentiment continued to drive trading and listing activity in the Asian financial hub.

The stock-exchange operator said Thursday that net profit increased 15% from a year earlier to 4.335 billion Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to US$554.3 million. That beat the HK$3.76 billion consensus estimate of analysts polled by Visible Alpha.

Revenue and other income climbed 15% to HK$7.31 billion, the company said, due to higher trading and clearing fees across the cash and commodities markets, which was partly offset by lower net investment income of margin funds.

HKEX also witnessed stronger trading volumes during the quarter, with the headline average daily turnover up 23% to HK$229.8 billion.

The strong quarterly figures helped push its top and bottom lines for the year to new records.

Hong Kong's stock market last year notched its best year since 2017 as the AI boom renewed market sentiment, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 28%.

The Hang Seng Tech Index, which tracks the 30 largest technology companies listed in the city, gained about 23% in 2025 as DeepSeek's breakthrough early in the year disrupted the AI landscape, spurring a tech rally in Chinese stocks and numerous listings by Chinese AI companies.

"While we expect volatility to persist amid the prevailing macro landscape in 2026, we also see cause for optimism in capital markets as global investors adjust to the ongoing uncertainty of an increasingly multipolar world by seeking diversification and risk management opportunities", Chief Executive Bonnie Y Chan said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said capital raised through initial public offerings in the city more than tripled last year to over HK$280 billion, ranking first globally.

Write to Kimberley Kao at kimberley.kao@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 25, 2026 23:53 ET (04:53 GMT)