Hong Kong Exchange Plans Suite of New Exchange-Traded Products

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's stock exchange is looking at introducing a suite of new exchange-traded products after rolling out an initiative to tighten trading spreads and enhancing liquidity in the $38 billion market.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. is considering four new types, including leveraged and inverse products that track mainland China A share indexes, fixed income ETFs, sectoral and thematic ETFs with underlying Chinese assets and those with an environmental, social and governance investing strategy, Head of Exchange Traded Products Brian Roberts said in interview.

The products tracking mainland indexes would be the “next source of innovation and diversification,” he said. The recent increase in investor interests in fixed income ETFs seen in the U.S. will also “come to Asia,” he said.

As part of its three-year plan, the exchange is seeking to broaden its palette of trading, moving away from its predominant equity focus. The exchange on Monday initiated new rules that tightened so-called price ticks and introduced continuous market making obligations on ETPs. It's also getting help from the government, which is going to waive stamp duty for ETF market makers creating and redeeming units starting Aug. 1.

At the end of April, Hong Kong housed 131 exchange-traded products with a combined market capitalization of HK$295 billion ($38 billion). The first ETF was launched in the city in 1999.

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The unrest hasn't fazed investors, said Roberts. “They see that Hong Kong has been and will continue to be a resilient market. When we are talking to investors throughout the region, the political backdrop is there. It didn't get raised in new discussion.”