Hong Kong Stock Exchange Plans to Standarize Trading Units

The Hong Kong stock exchange plans to standardize the trading units used by the 2,660 listed companies on its platform in a bid to increase liquidity, according to a consultation paper.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. is proposing to limit the trading unit size, or board lot, to eight choices starting at one share to a maximum of 10,000 shares. The trading value per lot will be capped at HK$50,000 ($6,400), according to the paper.

Hong Kong publicly traded companies choose their own board lots, which has resulted in more than 40 different sizes, according to an HKEX tally. About 25% of listed issuers will need to adjust their board lot sizes under the proposal, the exchange said. The public has until March 12 to give comments.

“These proposals aim to make trading simpler and more accessible to all, while also catering to the needs and distinctive features of Hong Kong’s financial markets,” said Gregory Yu, head of markets at HKEX, in a statement. The changes “will be the first step of a longer-term journey to transition to a single unified board lot unit,” he said.

The review is part of a wider push to boost trading liquidity in the Hong Kong stock market. This year, more than $34 billion in shares debuted in the city as global investors revived interest in China. However, a higher threshold of trading Hong Kong stocks still deters some investors.