HKEX to Introduce New Initiatives to Enhance Liquidity of ETPs

• New Spread Table and Continuous Quoting Market Making Obligations for ETPs to be effective on 1 June
• These initiatives are HKEX's latest step in a series of market structure changes to enhance the liquidity of Hong Kong-listed ETPs

HONG KONG, May 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is pleased to announce today (Monday) the introduction of a new spread table and continuous quoting market making obligations for Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) from 1 June 2020. The new initiatives are part of HKEX's ongoing mission to develop Hong Kong into Asia's ETP marketplace.

"The new spread table and market making obligations are HKEX's latest moves in a series of market structure changes to enhance the liquidity of Hong Kong-listed ETPs," said Brian Roberts, HKEX Head of Exchange Traded Products. "We believe these enhancements will make Hong Kong-listed ETPs a more cost efficient way for investors in Asia to access the world's capital markets."

Below are the highlights of the initiatives:

• New Spread Table for ETPs - On 1 June 2020, a new spread table will be introduced for Hong Kong-listed ETPs. The new spread table maps out the minimum price movements for securities trading at different price ranges and it will reduce tick sizes by as much as 80 per cent^[1] compared with the existing spread table. The reduction of tick size is equivalent to reducing the minimum achievable spreads investors experience when trading ETPs.
• Continuous Quoting Market Making Obligations for ETPs - To create a more competitive liquidity providing environment in Hong Kong-listed ETPs, a new set of market making obligations for ETPs will be introduced on 1 June to replace the current regime. The new market making scheme is designed to help investors better access ETP liquidity.

For further details of the new spread table and market making obligations, please refer to the circular issued today or visit the HKEX ETP webpage.

Proposed Stamp Duty Waiver for Market Making Activities

On 15 May 2020, the Hong Kong Government published a regulation to waive the stamp duty on stock transfers for ETP market makers in the course of creating and redeeming ETP units listed in Hong Kong. The regulation, which will come into effect on 1 August 2020, will help to lower the transaction cost of ETP activities in the primary market.

As of 30 April 2020, 131 ETPs were listed in Hong Kong's ETP market, including 24 Leveraged and Inverse Products, representing a combined market capitalisation^[2] of $295 billion. Further information about Hong Kong-listed ETFs is available in HKEX's website.

About HKEX

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is one of the world's major exchange groups, and operates a range of equity, commodity, fixed income and currency markets. HKEX is the world's leading IPO market and as Hong Kong's only securities and derivatives exchange and sole operator of its clearing houses, it is uniquely placed to offer regional and international investors access to Asia's most vibrant markets.

HKEX is also the global leader in metals trading, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, The London Metal Exchange (LME) and LME Clear Limited. This commodity franchise was further enhanced with the launch of Qianhai Mercantile Exchange (QME), in China, in 2018.

HKEX launched the pioneering Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme in 2014, further expanded with the launch of Shenzhen Connect in 2016, and the launch of Bond Connect in 2017.

www.hkexgroup.com