Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) on Wednesday posted its best-ever half-yearly revenue and profit for the first six months of the year, following a stock market boom as the local fundraising market ranked top in the world.

In a statement, the city's bourse operator reported that its revenue and other income soared 33 percent year on year to nearly HK$14.1 billion, boosted by record high volumes in the money market, equity market, and higher investment income.

Profit, meanwhile, jumped 39 percent to stand at about HK$8.52 billion between January and June, compared to the same period last year.

The group's second-quarter revenue and profit also reached record quarterly highs.

HKEX declared an interim dividend of HK$6 per share, up 38 percent from a year ago.

Commenting on the performance, the group's chairman, Carlson Tong, said the figures demonstrated "a remarkable strategic advancement across all markets", boosted by positive market sentiment, growing investor appetite for non-USD assets and the increasing participation of global and mainland investors.

"Despite the ongoing macroeconomic volatility and dynamic geopolitical landscape, our unwavering commitment to fostering innovation, dynamism, and resilience has significantly bolstered the competitiveness and allure of our markets," he said.

Average daily turnover in securities trading stood at about HK$240 billion for the first half of the year, up 118 percent from the same period in 2024, while the city's Stock Connect programme also achieved record half-yearly turnover in both the northbound and southbound trade legs.

The city's initial public offering (IPO) market, meanwhile, was ranked first globally during the period with 44 new listings, including one by CATL that marked the world's largest since 2023, sending total funds raised in the SAR to more than HK$109 billion, up 716 percent year on year.

"As we celebrate HKEX’s 25th anniversary, we look forward with confidence to seizing growth opportunities, deepening our role as the pivotal gateway between China and the world, and continuing to shape the future of finance in Hong Kong and across the region," Tong said.

The group's chief executive, Bonnie Chan, said the rises came as the firm continued to diversify its product ecosystem to strengthen the city's listing frameworks, while the commodities business also marked new milestones.

"Looking to the rest of the year and beyond, we at HKEX are committed to continuously enhancing our platforms, our infrastructure, and our products, to provide investors and issuers with the diversification, liquidity and connectivity they need to navigate the dynamic global macroeconomic environment," Chan said.

New initiatives in the second half of the year, she added, include the shortening of the cash market settlement cycle, expansion of paperless listing regimes, and the enhancement of IPO price discovery requirements.