Hong Kong's main stock market index, the HK50, rose to 24219 points on July 14, 2025, gaining 0.33% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 0.66% and is up 34.43% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Hong Kong. Hong Kong Stock Market Index (HK50) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

The stock of the Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent had the highest market capitalization on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Tencent was worth over 2.61 trillion Hong Kong dollars in 2024. In addition to that, Tencent's share also had a high turnover, making it the most active stock on the bourse.

An acceptable compromise

The Hong Kong Exchange has a unique position in the global financial landscape that makes it a popular destination for companies from mainland China. Because the city is a special administrative region under the PRC but has a very liberal financial system with a large market capitalization, it enjoys certain privileges that remain unobtainable to the rest of the overseas financial markets. As a result, Hong Kong becomes a popular destination for mainland Chinese companies that want to gain access to global financial markets while maintaining proximity to home markets.

Closer to home

In an environment of rising tensions between the PRC and the United States, many Chinese companies listed on overseas stock exchanges feel pressure from both sides. After China’s cybersecurity watchdog CAC delisted the ride-hailing company DIDI’s application from app stores in mainland China shortly after its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, it sent the stock into turmoil. Ultimately, the company leadership decided to transfer its shares to the Hong Kong Exchange. DIDI might not be the only Chinese enterprise that will come closer to the mainland as the SEC recently announced stricter auditing requirements while Beijing also amends its rules for overseas IPOs.

As of April 2025, the Hang Seng Index at the Hong Kong Exchange amounted to ********* points. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the index dropped as part of a broader Pan-Asian trend. However, by the end of 2020, when the pandemic situation stabilized in many countries and news about a vaccine rollout came out, the Hang Seng Index recovered and recorded significant increases every month. Index composition The Hang Seng Index is the most prominent indicator of stock performance on the Hong Kong Exchange. By including the 50 largest companies, the index represents the market movements of more than half of the bourse’s market capitalization. In addition to that, the Hang Seng Index has numerous smaller indices which mirror smaller industries or market sections. The Hang Seng Composite Index One example of a sub-index is the Hang Seng Composite Index. It reflects the performance of the top 95 percentile of the total market capitalization. The financial industry accounted for the largest share of companies included in the index, followed by the information technology sector. Prominent companies represented in the index are Tencent, AIA, and Meituan.

Hong Kong Market Capitalization: Securities: Fifty Leading Companies data was reported at 16,977,501.210 HKD mn in Oct 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19,029,991.710 HKD mn for Sep 2018. Hong Kong Market Capitalization: Securities: Fifty Leading Companies data is updated monthly, averaging 11,928,982.580 HKD mn from Jan 2001 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 214 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22,356,933.200 HKD mn in Jan 2018 and a record low of 2,826,884.340 HKD mn in Mar 2003. Hong Kong Market Capitalization: Securities: Fifty Leading Companies data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.Z002: Main Board: Market Capitalization.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world, with an equity market capitalization of almost ** trillion U.S. dollars as of June 2025. The following three exchanges were the NASDAQ, PINK Exchange, and the Frankfurt Exchange. What is a stock exchange? A stock exchange is a marketplace where stockbrokers, traders, buyers, and sellers can trade in equities products. The largest exchanges have thousands of listed companies. These companies sell shares of their business, giving the general public the opportunity to invest in them. The oldest stock exchange worldwide is the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, founded in the late sixteenth century. Other functions of a stock exchange Since these are publicly traded companies, every firm listed on a stock exchange has had an initial public offering (IPO). The largest IPOs can raise billions of dollars in equity for the firm involved. Related to stock exchanges are derivatives exchanges, where stock options, futures contracts, and other derivatives can be traded.

As of December 2024, the Shanghai Stock Exchange had the largest domestic market capitalization among stock exchanges in the Asia Pacific region, amounting to approximately *** trillion U.S. dollars. Second in the ranking was the Shanghai Stock Exchange Group, followed by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Stock exchanges in Asia PacificThe major stock exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region are the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange in Mainland China, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Hong Kong, and the Bombay Stock Exchange in India, which is also the oldest stock exchange in Asia. Also, five out of the ten largest stock exchange operators in the world are located in Asia.What is market capitalization?Market capitalization, also commonly referred to as market cap, is a measure of the total market value of outstanding shares of a company on the stock market. It indicates a company’s relative size and value while taking various determinants such as risk and the market’s perception into consideration. There are large-cap (>** billion), mid-cap (* to ** billion) and small-cap (*** million to * billion) companies depending on their market capitalization.

As of March 2025, the SSE Composite Index had closed at 3,335.75 points. The index reflects the performance of all stocks traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, including both boards, the main board, and the Star market. SSE still number one In the greater Chinese region, the stock exchange in Shanghai was the largest, beating the bourses in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 2023, the Shanghai Stock Exchange recorded a market capitalization of over 6.5 trillion. Not only market capitalization was a unique attribute, but the Shanghai Stock Exchange was also home to the most valuable stock in mainland China, which was the baijiu producer Moutai Kweichow. Limited access Despite its size, the exchange in Shanghai only grants limited access to overseas investors. The bourse listed A-shares and B-shares. While A-shares are denominated in yuan and almost exclusively available for domestic traders, the prices of B-shares are in U.S. dollars and available for overseas investors as well. In addition, the bourse offers access to foreign investors through a trading accreditation which is supervised by the Chinese authorities. However, these tight controls are the reason why Hong Kong, despite its lower relative market capitalization, remains an important gateway to capital for mainland Chinese companies.

Key information about Hong Kong SAR (China) P/E ratio

• Hong Kong SAR (China) Hang Seng recorded a daily P/E ratio of 11.950 on 26 Mar 2025, compared with 12.200 from the previous day.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) Hang Seng P/E ratio is updated daily, with historical data available from Apr 2000 to Mar 2025.
• The P/E ratio reached an all-time high of 18.400 in Nov 2010 and a record low of 7.450 in Feb 2016.
• Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited provides daily P/E Ratio.

市值：证券：前五十龙头企业在10-01-2018达16,977,501.210百万港元，相较于09-01-2018的19,029,991.710百万港元有所下降。市值：证券：前五十龙头企业数据按月更新，01-01-2001至10-01-2018期间平均值为11,928,982.580百万港元，共214份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于01-01-2018，达22,356,933.200百万港元，而历史最低值则出现于03-01-2003，为2,826,884.340百万港元。CEIC提供的市值：证券：前五十龙头企业数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于香港交易及結算所有限公司 (香港交易所)，数据归类于全球数据库的香港 – 表 HK.Z002：主板：市值。

The initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian multinational petroleum and natural gas company, on the Tadawul in December 2019, was the largest public offering globally ever as of December 2024. The IPO of Saudi Aramco raised approximately **** billion U.S. dollars. Why do companies opt for IPOs? An initial public offering (IPO), also known as ‘going public’, is the company’s first stock sale to the public. IPO happens when an initially private company decides to open up to the stock market, taking the first step to become a publicly traded enterprise. Shares are traded in the open market after the initial sales, and any public investor can take part on the trade. In the United States alone, *** companies made their public-market debut in 2023. IPOs are made by different companies for a number of reasons. Smaller sized companies may seek an IPO for access to capital and cheaper credit for further expansion. Other companies that may already be of considerable size, however, may use an initial public offering to other ends. Opening up to the stock market can also facilitate merger and acquisitions, considering stocks can be part of a future deal. Chinese companies feature twice Two Chinese companies featured in the list as of 2024. Alibaba had the second largest after Saudi Aramco, with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in tenth place. Alibaba is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (as well as the Hong Kong Exchange), making the company’s IPO also the largest one in the U.S. to date. ICBC is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.