Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) on Wednesday reported that its profit and revenue reached record highs in the first quarter, as global capital continued to pour into the SAR amid rising geopolitical uncertainties.

The city's bourse operator also noted that Hong Kong maintained its position as the top global fundraising venue, after 40 new listings raised HK$110.4 billion between them in the first three months of the year.

That was nearly six times the amount of funds raised in the same period last year and the strongest initial public offering (IPO) performance since the first quarter of 2021.

Profit in the first quarter rose 27 percent year on year to around HK$5.2 billion, while revenue and other income jumped 20 percent to around HK$8.2 billion.

HKEX said its headline average daily trading turnover reached HK$276.7 billion during the period, 14 percent higher than that during the same period last year.

It also marked its second-highest quarterly level, behind the HK$286.4 billion recorded in the third quarter of last year.

"HKEX delivered a strong start to 2026 with revenue and profit both reaching record highs in the first quarter of 2026, as global capital continued to seek safe havens and access to Asian growth opportunities in a volatile macro environment," said Bonnie Chan, chief executive of HKEX.

Chan said the city's primary market growth remained robust, with a pipeline of high-quality companies awaiting IPOs, adding that the secondary market also rose further, with 20 days between January and March where trading turnover exceeded HK$300 billion.

"This reflected strong participation from both Chinese mainland and international investors, helping also to drive robust Southbound and Northbound Stock Connect activity respectively, with Northbound average daily turnover reaching a fresh quarterly record," she said.

"Looking ahead, we'll continue to deepen regional connectivity, broaden participation and invest in building a resilient, innovative, multi-asset ecosystem, ensuring our markets remain well positioned to capture opportunities across market cycles."

Chan added that HKEX is working on further enhancing its listing framework, while broadening products and the whole market ecosystem, with ongoing public consultations to be concluded on May 8.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden