Mainland Cash Chasing Hong Kong Stocks After Record Year
- Capital raised via IPOs, secondary listings most in a decade
- Investors look to increase exposure to H-shares on valuation
In a year disrupted by a global pandemic, political upheaval and abrupt setbacks for some of Hong Kong’s biggest stocks, investors point to one constant as to why 2021 looks brighter: relentless levels of money coming in.
Mainland investors have bought a net HK$666 billion ($86 billion) of the city’s shares, easily the most since both of Hong Kong’s trading links with onshore exchanges began operating in 2016. At more than $51 billion, the amount of capital raised from Hong Kong initial public offerings and secondary listings is the most in a decade, as the city positions itself to be the preferred venue for big Chinese firms. The inflows have been so strong that Hong Kong’s de-facto central bank had to repeatedly step in to weaken the local currency.