Government increases shareholding in HKEX to 6%

The move enables the authority to pitch in for HKEX’s development.

The government has increased its shareholding in stock exchange operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) to 6.00%.

The expansion is attributed to the results of a scrip dividend election under the scrip dividend scheme in relation to the final dividend for the year ended last year, according to a government statement.

“The shareholding in HKEx is a strategic use of the Exchange Fund by the Government to enable the Government to contribute, over the longer term, to HKEx’s development, particularly in strategic partnerships and linkages with other institutions in the region,” the statement added.

The Government became a minority controller of the stock exchange operator when it raised its shareholding to 5.88% of issued share capital in September 2007.