HK-Mainland Stock Connect Expanded - CSRC

Securities regulators in Hong Kong and the mainland have agreed to expand the scope of the Stock Connect program, according to a statement on the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) website. The expansion of northbound trade, which allows international investors access to mainland stocks, will now include Shanghai A-shares that have a market capitalisation of at least CNY5 billion, and be able to satisfy certain liquidity requirements. For southbound trading, which allows mainland investors access to Hong Kong stocks, the scope will now include foreign companies with their primary listing on the Hang Seng Composite Index, and with a market capitalisation of at least HKD5 billion. The move aims to further deepen the Stock Connect program and promote the common development of capital markets. The expansion will take around three months to implement, according to the CSRC.