According to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388), the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388) announced that in mid-2019, the company's revenue and other income were HK$8.578 billion, up 5% year on year, EBITDA of HK$6.625 billion, up 6% year on year, profit attributable to shareholders of HK$5.205 billion, up 3% year on year, basic profit per share of HK$4.16, and interim dividend per share of HK$3.72 per share.

Revenue and other income increased 5% compared to the first half of 2018, mainly due to: the increase in net investment income, including the increase in fair value income and interest income from collective investment plans, and the increase in revenue and other income from the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which reached a new half-year high; it exceeded the impact of the decline in transaction and settlement fee revenue due to the decline in spot market turnover.

Operating expenses increased by 2% compared to the first half of 2018 due to increases in employee expenses and information technology expenses, but the adoption of new accounting standards for leasing reduced building expenses has partially offset the increase. The EBITDA margin was 77%, the same as in the first half of 2018, but a 3% increase from the full year of 2018 figures.

Strategic focus: With the successful inclusion of MSCI and FTSE Russell Index into China's A-shares, the average daily turnover of the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong northbound transaction in the first half of 2019 reached a new semi-annual high, more than double the previous record for the second half of 2018. An MSCI licensing agreement was signed to prepare for the launch of the MSCI China A-share Index futures contract. Starting in June 2019, the trading hours of the derivatives market will be extended from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. The average daily turnover of Bond Connect increased sharply to RMB 6.6 billion, up 94% from the first half of 2018. In June 2019, the acquisition of more than half of the shares of Ronghui Tongjin (a financial market technology service company in Shenzhen) was completed.

Group CEO Li Xiaojia said that HKEx's performance during the period remained stable and outstanding. The profit of the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Exchange reached a record high, and there were countless listing applications awaiting approval. Coupled with the impressive return on investment income, they all greatly offset the impact of the slight weakening in spot market turnover in the macro environment. Furthermore, the bond channel and derivatives markets also performed well during the period. We will continue to focus on implementing the 3-year strategic plan, control costs, and seize opportunities for further development and growth.