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HKEx Sets Date For Reduction Of Minimum Trading Spreads For Shares Trading Above $30 And Changes In AMS/3 Trading Parameters

Date 29/06/2005

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) will reduce minimum trading spreads for shares trading above $30 and change trading parameters of AMS/3, the Third Generation Automatic Order Matching and Execution System, on Monday, 4 July this year.  Spreads for shares priced at or below $30 will remain the same.

The date was set after the successful completion of market rehearsals during the weekends of 18 and 25 June.  The Securities and Futures Commission has approved the rule changes required for the reductions.  As of 27 June, there were 29 shares priced above $30 (see Attachment 2).

HKEx published a consultation paper on the reduction of minimum trading spreads on 6 August last year.  The proposal to reduce minimum spreads was aimed at increasing the competitiveness of HKEx's markets, improving market efficiency and enhancing market liquidity.  The proposal was also aimed at making spreads more uniform.  The consultation results were considered by the HKEx Board in December last year and the Board decided that minimum trading spreads for shares trading above $30 would be reduced.

To complement the spread reductions, certain AMS/3 trading parameters have been modified (see Attachment 1).  Similar to the current arrangements, all securities other than stock options, debt securities and securities authorised to be traded in accordance with the minimum trading spreads for debt securities will have the same minimum trading spreads as shares. 

Detailed information on the consultation paper, consultation conclusions and respondents' submissions, as well as the questionnaire on proposed changes in trading parameters and other settings, is available on the HKEx website at http://www.hkex.com.hk.

 

Attachment 1

Reduction of Minimum Spreads for Shares

Currency unit ¡Ì

Price from

Current Minimum Spread

Revised Minimum Spread
(>30)

0.01

0.001

No Change

0.25

0.005

No Change

0.50

0.010

No Change

2.00

0.025

No Change

5.00

0.050

No Change

30.00

0.100

0.050

50.00

0.250

100.00

0.500

0.100

200.00

1.000

0.200

500.00

0.500

1,000.00

2.500

1.000

2,000.00

2.000

5,000.00 to 9,995.00

5.000

¡ÌCurrency unit refers to Hong Kong dollar and other currencies.

 

Changes in AMS/3 Trading Parameters

Trading Parameters

Current

Revised

1.

Quotation Rules

8 spreads

24 spreads

 

2.

Price warning
  -     1st level
  -     2nd level (other than warrants)
  -     2nd level (warrants only)


10 spreads
15 spreads
30 spreads


20 spreads
30 spreads
No Change
(ie 30 spreads)

 

3. 

Maximum number of matchable price queues for Enhanced Limit Orders and Special Limit Orders

 

2 queues

5 queues

4. 

Maximum outstanding orders per broker ID

 

2,000

4,000

 

 

Attachment 2

List of affected securities as at market close of 27 June 2005

Stock Code

Stock Name

Type

Closing Price (Currency unit)

1

CHEUNG KONG

Main Board Stock

76.5

2

CLP HOLDINGS

Main Board Stock

44.6

5

HSBC HOLDINGS

Main Board Stock

126

6

HK ELECTRIC

Main Board Stock

35.2

11

HANG SENG BANK

Main Board Stock

106

12

HENDERSON LAND

Main Board Stock

36.9

13

HUTCHISON

Main Board Stock

70.5

16

SHK PPT

Main Board Stock

76.25

19

SWIRE PACIFIC A

Main Board Stock

69.25

26

CHINA MOTOR BUS

Main Board Stock

63

44

HAECO

Main Board Stock

49.9

53

GUOCO GROUP

Main Board Stock

80.5

62

K M BUS HOLD

Main Board Stock

44.4

96

WING LUNG BANK

Main Board Stock

58

158

MELBOURNE ENT

Main Board Stock

31.9

302

WING HANG BANK

Main Board Stock

51.5

316

OOIL

Main Board Stock

33.6

330

ESPRIT HOLDINGS

Main Board Stock

54.75

440

DAH SING

Main Board Stock

51

511

TVB

Main Board Stock

44.2

522

ASM PACIFIC

Main Board Stock

36.9

945

MANULIFE

Main Board Stock

378

2888

STANCHART

Main Board Stock

144.5

830

THE NIPPON FUND

Unit Trust

51.5

2819

ABF HK IDX ETF

Exchange Traded Fund

100.7

2823

A50 CHINA TRACKER

Exchange Traded Fund

41.3

2828

HS H-SHARE ETF

Exchange Traded Fund

49.2

2833

HS HSI ETF

Exchange Traded Fund

144.5

2838

HS FXI C25 ETF

Exchange Traded Fund

83.75

  1. Securities traded at prices above $30 but without a closing price as at 27 Jun 2005 , if any, have been excluded from the above list.