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HKEx Plans To Introduce Hang Seng China H-Financials Index Futures And Additional Stock Option Classes And Stock Futures Contracts

Date 12/03/2007

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) plans to introduce Hang Seng China H-Financials Index (HFI) futures on 16 April this year, pending Securities and Futures Commission approval.  HKEx will also introduce additional stock option classes and stock futures contracts on 19 March and discontinue trading in Lenovo Group Ltd (Lenovo; stock code 992) options and futures.

HFI Futures and the HFI

HFI futures will be a trading and hedging tool specific to Mainland financial stocks listed on the Stock Exchange's Main Board.  The new futures will join a broad range of products offered by HKEx to meet the needs of investors interested in Mainland China-related securities and derivatives.

Key HFI Futures Contract Specifications

Contract Multiplier

$50 per index point

Trading Hours

9:45 am - 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm - 4:15 pm
9:45 am - 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm on Last Trading Day

Contract Months

Spot month, next month and next two calendar quarter months
(April, May, June and September at rollout)

Exchange Fee

$5 per contract, waived for first three months

Commission Levy

$0.80 per contract, exempted for first six months

Please see the attachments for additional contract information.

The HFI is a free float-adjusted, market capitalisation-weighted index with a 15 per cent cap on each constituent's weighting. It is compiled by HSI Services Limited and tracks the performance of major Mainland financial stocks in the H-shares universe. The index currently has eight constituents: five major banks and three large insurance companies (the constituents and their weightings in the index are in the attachments). At the end of last year, the market capitalisation of the HFI's constituents accounted for more than 18 per cent of Main Board equities' total market capitalisation.  In addition, HFI stocks accounted for nearly 24 per cent of Main Board equities' turnover in December last year.  Additional information on the HFI is in the attachments.

Additional Stock Option Classes and Stock Futures Contracts

HKEx will introduce options and futures on China Communications Construction Co Ltd (stock code 1800), Foxconn International Holdings Ltd (stock code 2038) and PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd (stock code 2328) on 19 March. Contract highlights are in the attachments and contract summaries are on the HKEx website at:
http://www.hkex.com.hk/tradinfo/futurescontract/conspec.htm (stock options) and
http://www.hkex.com.hk/tradinfo/futurescontract/conspec_sf.htm (stock futures)

Discontinuing trading in Lenovo Options and Futures

Trading of Lenovo options and futures will be gradually discontinued from 12 March. After the market close on 12 March, no new expiry months, series or contract months will be introduced, and all existing expiry months, series and contracts months will be available for trading until the expiration of the respective expiry months and contract months.

"There is strong investor interest in H shares and the financial companies in the H-shares index and requests have come from the market for a futures contract on the HFI.  We think this is a good time to give investors more choice by introducing HFI futures," said HKEx Chief Operating Officer Gerald Greiner. "HKEx always takes a long-term view when introducing new products, which often take time to develop, so we do not have any specific volume or open interest targets for HFI futures.

"The introduction of the additional stock option classes and stock futures contracts will further expand our range of Mainland China-related products and give market participants a broader range of futures and options for hedging and trading," Mr Greiner added.

The latest information on futures and options traded on HKEx's markets, including contract summaries and information vendor codes, is available on the HKEx website at: http://www.hkex.com.hk/prod/equitypd/equityproducts.htm. The latest information on the HFI is available on the HSI Services Limited website (http://www.hsi.com.hk).

 

ATTACHMENTS

HFI Constituents and Weightings (As of 13 February 2007)

Stock Code

Company Name

Weighting

939

China Construction Bank Corporation *

14.66%

1398

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited*

15.22%

2318

Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd

12.13%

2328

PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd

2.73%

2628

China Life Insurance Company Limited*

15.68%

3328

Bank of Communications Co, Ltd

15.85%

3968

China Merchants Bank Co, Ltd

11.16%

3988

Bank of China Limited*

12.55%

* One of the 10 Hong Kong-listed companies with the highest share turnover value in 2006.

 

Contract Specifications for Hang Seng China H-Financials Index Futures
(Subject to SFC Approval)

Underlying Index/Index 

Hang Seng China H-Financials Index (the share price index of that name compiled, computed and disseminated by HSI Services Limited)

Contract Multiplier $50 per Index point
Contract Months

Spot Month, the next calendar month, and the next two calendar quarter months (ie quarterly months are March, June, September, and December)

Minimum Fluctuation   One Index point
Maximum Fluctuation Nil
Contracted Price

The price in whole Index points at which a Hang Seng China H-Financials Index Futures Contract is registered by the Clearing House

Contracted Value Contracted Price multiplied by the Contract Multiplier
Position Limits

Position delta for Hang Seng China H-Financials Index Futures of 10,000 long or short in all Contract Months combined

Large Open Positions

500 open contracts, in any one Contract Month, per Exchange Participant for the Exchange Participant's own behalf; and

500 open contracts, in any one Contract Month, per Client
Trading Hours 9:45 am - 12:30 pm and
2:30 pm - 4:15 pm (Hong Kong time)
Trading Hours on Last Trading Day 9:45 am - 12:30 pm and
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm# (Hong Kong time)

# The closing time shall be adjusted automatically to correspond with the closing time of the underlying cash market, as it may be set from time to time

Trading Method The Exchange's* Automated Trading System (HKATS)
Final Settlement Day The first Business Day after the Last Trading Day
Settlement Method Cash settled contract for differences
Last Trading Day

The Business Day immediately preceding the last Business Day of the Contract Month

Final Settlement Price

The Final Settlement Price for Hang Seng China H-Financials Index Futures Contracts shall be a number, rounded down to the nearest whole number, determined by the Clearing House and shall be the average of quotations of the Hang Seng China H-Financials Index taken at five minute intervals during the Last Trading Day and compiled, computed and disseminated by HSI Services Ltd. The Chief Executive of the Exchange has the power under the Regulations for trading Stock Index Futures Contracts to determine the Final Settlement Price under certain circumstances.

Trading Fee Exchange Fee  $5.00
(per contract per side) The amount indicated above is subject to change from time to time.
Levies
(per contract per side) 
Commission Levy
Investor Compensation Levy 
$0.80
$0.50

Commission Levy and Investor Compensation Levy are payable at the rate or of the amount prescribed from time to time pursuant to the Ordinance. The amounts indicated above are for reference only and are subject to change as prescribed pursuant to the Ordinance. No Investor Compensation Levy shall be payable for as long as an exemption notice published under section 25 of the Securities and Futures (Investor Compensation - Levy) Rules is in force. Exchange Participants will be notified accordingly of the exemption notice (and its termination).

Commission Rate Negotiable

* The Exchange refers to Hong Kong Futures Exchange, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HKEx.


Key Contract Specifications for Additional Stock Option Classes

Stock Code

Underlying Stock

Contract Size(Shares)

Tier

Trading Tariff*

Expiry Months Available on Rollout Date

1800

China Communications Construction Co Ltd

1,000

2

$1

March, April, May, June and September 2007

2038

Foxconn International Holdings Ltd

1,000

1

$3

2328

PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd

2,000

2

$1

* Per contract

The strike price intervals will be set according to the following table and the strike prices will be set with reference to the closing prices of the underlying stocks on the business day immediately prior to the rollout date.             

Strike Price

Strike Price Interval

$2 to $5

$0.20

$5 to $10

$0.50

$10 to $20

$1.00

$20 to $50

$2.00



Key Contract Specifications for Additional Stock Futures Contracts

Stock Code

Underlying Stock

Contract Multiplier (Shares)

Exchange Fee

Commission Levy*

Contract Months Available on Rollout Date

1800

China Communications Construction Co Ltd

1,000

$3.50

$0.16#

 

March, April, May, June and September 2007

2038

Foxconn International Holdings Ltd

1,000

2328

PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd

2,000

*  Per contract
# Exempted from 19 March through 18 September


Stock Option Classes and Stock Futures Contracts Available for Trading on HKEx Derivatives Market

Stock Code

Underlying Stock

Contract Multiplier/Size
(shares)

2600

Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (Chalco)

2,000

3988

Bank of China Limited

1,000

3328

Bank of Communications Co, Ltd

1,000

23

The Bank of East Asia, Limited

200

2388

BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited

500

939

China Construction Bank Corporation

1,000

1800

China Communications Construction Co Ltd*

1,000

941

China Mobile Limited

500

762

China Unicom Limited

2,000

267

CITIC Pacific Limited

1,000

1

Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited

1,000

1038

Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited

1,000

2628

China Life Insurance Company Limited

1,000

2

CLP Holdings Limited

500

3968

China Merchants Bank Co, Ltd 

500

883

CNOOC Limited

1,000

906

China Netcom Group Corporation (Hong Kong) Limited

500

293

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited

1,000

386

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec)

2,000

728

China Telecom Corporation Limited

2,000

203

Denway Motors Limited

2,000

330

Esprit Holdings Limited

100

2038

Foxconn International Holdings Ltd*

1,000

6

Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited

500

388

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited

500

5

HSBC Holdings Plc

400

3

The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited

1,000

12

Henderson Land Development Company Limited

1,000

902

Huaneng Power International, Inc

2,000

11

Hang Seng Bank Limited

100

13

Hutchison Whampoa Limited

1,000

1398

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited 

1,000

179

Johnson Electric Holdings Limited

500

992

Lenovo Group Limited+

2,000

494

Li & Fung Limited

2,000

66

MTR Corporation Limited

500

17

New World Development Company Limited

1,000

8

PCCW Limited

1,000

857

PetroChina Company Limited

2,000

2328

PICC Property and Casualty Co Ltd*

2,000

2318

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd

500

16

Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited

1,000

19

Swire Pacific Limited ¡¥A'

500

2800

Tracker Fund of Hong Kong#

500

4

The Wharf (Holdings) Limited

1,000

*  Commence trading 19 March
+  Gradual discontinuation of trading from 12 March to 27 September
#  Stock options only