Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing CEO Chen Yiting: Extending trading hours for Hong Kong stocks would actually be bad for retail investors in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (00388) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karen Chan Yiting said at the HSBC Global Investment Summit 2026 that if the trading hours for Hong Kong stocks were extended to cover daytime hours in the United States, it could instead put local retail investors at a disadvantage. She also noted that among roughly 120 companies listed on the Stock Exchange last year, nearly half had more than 50% of their revenue coming from regions outside China.

Extending Hong Kong stock trading hours would instead be unfavorable for Hong Kong retail investors

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX) takes a cautious stance on whether to extend trading hours. Karen Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (00388), said that although global trading markets are moving toward longer trading sessions and even approaching near-24/7 trading, whether the Hong Kong stock market is suitable to follow suit still needs to be assessed prudently from a structural and fairness perspective.

She pointed out that if Hong Kong stock trading hours were extended to cover U.S. daytime hours, it may place local retail investors at a disadvantage. “When U.S. investors are actively trading Hong Kong stocks, Hong Kong investors may be resting, and when they wake up, market conditions have already changed significantly.” This could pose a challenge to the fairness of market participation.

Chan further used the retail industry as an analogy, saying that the market’s appeal has never been about whether business hours are longer or shorter, but whether there are high-quality underlying assets and investment opportunities. “Investors choose a market because it has the assets they want, not because the market is open 24 hours a day.” She also noted that if the market operates around the clock, listed companies’ information disclosure and regulatory cadence would face practical challenges, including whether companies need to publish material information at any time, and how to guard against potential market manipulation risks.

She emphasized that the core competitiveness the Hong Kong stock market has built over the long term lies in its stringent information disclosure regime and a high level of market integrity. “Market integrity and clean governance are among the most important foundations of financial markets,” and when considering any institutional adjustments, the relevant principles should not be weakened.

More than ten internationally well-known companies line up to list in Hong Kong

On the other hand, regarding market funding, Chan believes that international investors’ allocation to China and Asian markets is still clearly insufficient, but this situation is gradually improving. She cited data showing that among roughly 120 companies listed on the Stock Exchange last year, nearly half had more than 50% of their revenue coming from regions outside China, which can be seen as Chinese multinational enterprises with international business layouts, reflecting that the structure of HKEX-listed companies is becoming increasingly diversified.

At the same time, companies from places such as Thailand, Singapore, and Dubai are also actively listing in Hong Kong and have business layouts in Africa and Latin America. This year alone, more than 10 internationally well-known companies have already lined up to apply for listings, indicating that the momentum on the supply side remains strong.

On the funding side, she pointed out that the structure of cornerstone investors in IPOs has also shown a clear internationalization trend, with sources of funds covering North America, Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. Global capital has gradually become aware that allocations to China and Asian markets are lacking, and is accelerating efforts to make up for it. She believes this will become an important driver supporting the long-term development of the Hong Kong stock market.

This article Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing CEO Karen Chan Yiting: Extending Hong Kong stock trading hours would instead be unfavorable for Hong Kong retail investors first appeared on Lianxin ABMedia.