HKEx: Request For Expression Of Interest In A Project On Free Dissemination Of Basic Real-Time Market Prices On Websites

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) announced today (Wednesday) that it would issue a request for expressions of interest (RFI) from the market in developing a business model for the free dissemination of basic real-time HKEx market prices on websites.

HKEx currently provides 15-minute delayed basic stock prices on the HKEx website, which is the most popular service of the website.

HKEx would like to explore the feasibility of and the possible business arrangements for the provision of free basic real-time HKEx market prices on one or more web portals (not necessarily via the HKEx website) in Hong Kong and the Mainland. The main objectives of the idea are to - :

	increase market transparency;

	raise the Hong Kong market profile in the Mainland to get prepared for closer integration of the two markets; and

	explore a new revenue stream.

The RFI will be posted on the HKEx website on 18 September 2008, and it will be published in two newspapers in Hong Kong and two on the Mainland before the end of this month. The deadline for responses to the RFI is at noon, Friday, 17 October 2008