Career enhancement Project

Industry Research

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx)

Group Member

Zhou Jun, Juice

Kwok Wai Ho, Timmy

Leung Man Ho, Calvin

Hon Kwok Fai, Louis

Index

Title / Page

1.Background

/ 1
1.1 History of HKEx / 1
1.2 Aims & Objective / 1
1.3 The different between HKEx and SFC / 2
2. Product Offered / 3
2.1 Equity / 3
2.2 Debt / 3
2.3 Exchange-traded Fund / 3
2.4 Warrant / 4
2.5 Hang Seng Index Futures & Options
/ 4
2.6 Nasdaq stocks / 5
3. Trading process / 6
3.1 Introducing AMS/3 / 6
3.2 How to place orders / 6
3.3 Clearing Services / 7
3.4 Settlement Services / 7
4.Conclusion / 8
Reference


HKEx

1.Background

1.1 History of HKEx

In the March 1999 Budget speech, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary announced comprehensive market reform of the stock and futures markets. The reform was designed to increase competitiveness and meet the challenges of an increasingly globalised market.

Under the reform, The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK), Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited (HKFE) and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (HKSCC) merged and became wholly-owned subsidiaries of a single holding company, HKEx. HKEx achieved the approval of the Schemes of Arrangement of SEHK and HKFE at their general meetings on 27 September 1999, their sanction by the High Court of Hong Kong on 11 October 1999 and the passing of the Exchanges and Clearing Houses (Merger) Ordinance. The merger of the three institutions was completed on 6 March 2000, and HKEx listed itself on SEHK by introduction on 27 June 2000.

1.2 Aims & Objective

There are 3 main objectives:

1.  To maintain an orderly marketplace with transparent, fair, flexible and supportive regulations

2.  To operate and develop the Hong Kong securities and derivatives markets to meet the highest expectations of market users

3.  To be the leading international financial centre in Asia

1.3 The different between HKEx and SFC

HKEX / SFC
Role / The front-line regulator of listed companies except for takeovers, share repurchase and privatisation, which are the responsibilities of SFC. / An independent statutory body responsible for safeguarding market integrity, enforcement of securities and futures market legislation, investor protection and market oversight.
Job nature / Responsible for Exchange and Clearing House Participant regulation in relation to management of business risk, market surveillance and the enforcement of their trading and clearing rules / Responsible for matters relating to the conduct of Exchange Participants, new investigations and disciplinary matters concerning disputes between participants and clients

2. Product Offered

The Cash Unit of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) operates a market where investors can buy and sell a wide range of securities including equities, debts, unit trusts, exchange-traded funds and warrants.

However, SSE does not provide wide range of derivatives to investors, the most common one in warrant only. In China, future market is separated from SSE. It is called Shanghai Future Exchange. It offers copper, oil and aluminum futures. In Hong Kong all futures in HKEx are Hang Seng Index Futures.

2.1 Equity

Equity securities generally referred to as shares, comprise ordinary shares and preference shares. Most of the equity securities listed on the Exchange are ordinary shares that account for most of the turnover of the Exchange.

For the Ordinary shares, the holders have vote rights to decide the admiration though the selection of the general managers. They receive various dividends. Some of the examples are H-share, Red chip, Blue chip ELN (equity linked note)

For the Preference shares, the holders usually do not have vote rights. However, when the company get lose in the year, the holders can have a special right to vote. They also receive fixed dividend, but they may receive an extra dividend when the company get a huge profit.

2.2 Debt

Debt securities listed on the Exchange include bonds and notes which represent debts or loans to an entity (such as the Government and large corporations) Examples are the Exchange Fund Notes issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the notes issued by the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited.

2.3 Exchange-traded Fund

Like listed equity securities, ETFs listed on the Exchange give investors the opportunity to trade the ETFs on the Exchange during the trading day. Through the creation and redemption facility, large investors and institutions can create ETFs in block-sized units (known as “Creation Units”) in cash or in kind and redeem block-sized units of ETFs in return for securities approximating the composition of the underlying portfolio.

The Hong Kong Tracker Fund (“TraHK”) is an ETF listed on the Exchange. It is designed to provide investment results that closely correspond to the performance of the Hang Seng Index.

2.4Warrant

There are two kinds of warrants listed on the Exchange: equity warrants and derivative warrants.

2.4.1 Equity Warrants

Equity warrants listed in Hong Kong are generally U.S.-style warrants and may be exercised at any time prior to maturity. European-style warrants, on the other hand, may only be exercised upon maturity of the warrant. They usually exercise from 1 year to 5 year.

2.4.2 Derivative Warrants

The majority of derivative warrants in Hong Kong are settled in cash and they may be call or put warrants. Derivative warrants may also be issued over assets other than equity securities, for example, currencies and commodities. Derivative warrants were first listed on the Exchange in 1989.

2.5 Hang Seng Index Futures & Options
The Hong Kong Futures Exchange (HKFE) first introduced Hang Seng Index futures contracts in May 1986 followed by the introduction of Hang Seng Index options contracts in March 1993. These contracts provide investors with a set of effective instruments to manage portfolio risk and to capture index arbitrage opportunities. The popularity of Hang Seng Index futures and options has developed gradually with increasing domestic and international investors' participation.

2.6 Nasdaq stocks

The Pilot Programme introduced in May 2000, a number of global securities listed on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotations (Nasdaq) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) have been admitted to trading on the Hong Kong stock market. They are Amgen, Applied Materials, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, and Starbucks.

Main Characteristics

Ø  Listed on Nasdaq or AMEX;

Ø  May also include a number of exchange traded funds (ETFs);

Ø  Have no public offering in Hong Kong (HK);

Ø  Not regulated as listings on the Stock Exchange's Main Board or on

the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM);

Ø  Admitted into the Stock Exchange for trading only;

Trading of Pilot Programme (PP ) securities is regulated by HK law and HKEx rules. In particular, the securities are subject to the market manipulation provisions of the Securities Ordinance; In general, suspension and resumption of trading will follow that of the home market but the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the HKEx retain the right to suspend, halt trading and remove any security from trading;


3.Trading process

Trading will be carried out through the Stock Exchange's Automatic Order Matching and Execution System (AMS)

3.1  Introducing AMS/3

AMS/3, the third generation of the Automatic Order Matching and Execution System, is a new generation of securities trading infrastructure developed by HKEx that connects investors, Stock Exchange Participants, other market participants and the central market through eCommerce facilities. In October 2000, HKEx launched AMS/3. Under AMS/3, investors enjoy faster and easier access to the central market through electronic channels developed either by HKEx, Stock Exchange Participants or service vendors. Investors can place trading requests electronically and the requests are automatically routed to Stock Exchange Participants for approval and submission to the central market for matching and trade generation

The customers can enjoy faster and easier access to the central market through electronic channels developed either by HKEx, Stock Exchange Participants or service vendors. They can also place trading requests electronically and the requests are automatically routed to Stock Exchange Participants for approval and submission to the central market for matching and trade generation

3.2 How to place orders

In fact, it is an order-driven. It means that he system accepts at action and at-auction limit orders For the auction orders ,it is an order with no specified price and investors can enter into the trading at the final IEP.For the limit order, it is an order with a specified price

.

Apart from the traditional way of placing orders with Stock Exchange Participants by telephone or in person, investors can also place orders through any one of the following types of Investor Access Channels after the full implementation of AMS/3:

·  Online Trading Services (OTS) Channel – supported directly by HKEx. Investors can place orders through the Internet developed by the Stock Exchange. The orders will be routed to Stock Exchange Participants via ORS;

·  Proprietary Network Service (PNS) Channel – supported by PNS vendors with connection to HKEx's Order Routing System (ORS) that routes trading requests from investors to the market via Stock Exchange Participants. Investors can make use of the service channels offered by the PNS vendors to place orders via the Internet, mobile phone and other electronic channels; or

·  Brokers' Proprietary Channel – the Broker Supplied Systems supported by individual Stock Exchange Participants. Orders can be placed through the Internet and by mobile phone, provided by Stock Exchange Participants

However, as the PNS Channel and Broker Proprietary Channel are developed and maintained by PNS vendors and Stock Exchange Participants, services provided by these channels may vary. Please refer to the service providers concerned for detailed services available.

3.3 Clearing Services

CCASS clearing services provides settlement services under which securities are credited or debited to participants' CCASS stock accounts and funds are recorded in the participants' money ledgers on settlement day

3.4 Settlement Services

All Exchange trades are required to be settled on T+2 ( T+2 means transaction after 2 days of trading). SI transactions are settled on the settlement day stipulated by both participants. Securities settlement is effected either by scheduled daily batch settlement runs or immediately on-line by the input of Delivery Instructions (DIs). Provided that there are sufficient stocks in the stock account of the delivering participants, settlement of ISIs will be immediately effected on the settlement day specified by the broker or custodian participants once the investor participants make the affirmation.

Conclusion

•In the future , HKEx will maintain the trading , cleaning and settlement service for different products for the investors to ensure the trading in the transparent, fair, flexible and supportive environment


References

http://www.hkex.com.hk/

http://www.info.gov.hk/go_west/dele46.htm

http://www.hkgem.com/root/e_default.asp

http://www.geocities.com/hung_information/stock/

http://www.hksfc.org.hk/

http://hung-hk.tripod.com/stock.htm