The CEO of the Exchange, Bonnie Chan Yi-ting, stated that there are currently over 160 companies waiting to be listed in Hong Kong, with nearly 20 of them raising more than 1 billion US dollars. Last month alone, more than 40 new stock listing applications were received.
She mentioned that during recent communications with senior executives from other regional Exchanges, they expressed envy over Hong Kong's rich pipeline resources, believing it is due to the good themes in the local market and investors looking for reallocation opportunities. There is confidence that new stock activities will continue to flow. What pleased her even more was witnessing leading companies coming to list in Hong Kong, as well as overseas investors reinvesting in new Hong Kong stocks during the IPO process, with some H shares newly listed at a premium compared to A shares already listed in the mainland.
In recent years, the Exchange has been keen on expanding into overseas markets, having set up offices in Singapore, New York, and London. Bonnie Chan Yi-ting pointed out that overseas offices require time for Operation; for instance, the Singapore office has started to achieve results after years of effort. Last year, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) was able to acquire Lion Rock Holdings (02562.HK), and the local biotech company Mirxes (02629.HK) also listed in Hong Kong this May.
Bonnie Chan Yi-ting also mentioned that inquiries have been received from Middle Eastern companies regarding listing in Hong Kong, but she believes in taking step by step, slowly operating, and understanding each other's market operations. The Exchange is currently preparing to open an office in Riyadh this year.
