Shenzhen A Share Index
The Shenzhen A-share Index (SZSEAINDEX) is a price index composed of all the stocks listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE). It is a representation of the Chinese economy, with a mixture of large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and smaller private and joint global firms, that is also a part of the Shanghai–Hong Kong Stock Connect and is available to investors in mainland China.
The Shenzhen index began in 1990, when the Shenzhen Stock Exchange was first established, with 8 stocks in its opening index. Today, it has grown to include almost all (1,725) of the stocks listed on the exchange, making it the most important index in China by market capitalization and the fourth-largest stock index in the world.
The index components are divided into both A and B shares. A shares are for local investors and residents of mainland China and are traded in local currency of the yuan. The B shares are for foreign investors and are denominated in US dollars. Both share types are weighted differently, but both contribute to the index.
The index components are based on market capitalization weighting, so the higher the value of a component’s stock, the better its weight in the index. Furthermore, the index is rebalanced every month to maintain this weighting.
The Shenzhen Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index, which means that its components must have a minimum free float market cap to be included in the index components. The index also has restrictions on the maximum weight any component can have in the index, which is capped at 15%, to ensure greater diversification and reduce the impact of a single stock on the index.
The SZSEAINDEX is designed to measure the performance of the largest and most liquid stocks on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. It is widely used by retail and institutional investors as a benchmark for both international and domestic investors as well as for index-tracking and derivative products.
Shenzhen A-share Index is widely used by foreign and domestic investors as a benchmark index to measure the performance of the Chinese A-share stock market. It is also a valuable indicator of economic growth and development in mainland China. Furthermore, its unique feature of both A and B shares make it a uniquely practical index for those who wish to invest in China and benefit from its market performance.