The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is a market capitalization-weighted index that is commonly used to track the overall performance of the Hong Kong stock market. It was developed by Hong Kong financial services company Hang Seng Bank in 1971. The index is calculated daily and consists of the top 50 companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK).
The Hang Seng Index is a benchmark index that is widely referred to by journalists, economists, and market professionals in the region. It is one of the most widely followed indices in the world, and is often seen as the “barometer” of the Hong Kong economy. The index is typically considered to be an indicator of the overall health of the Hong Kong economy, as it reflects the performance of the local stock market.
The index is divided into four sectors – finance, properties, red chips, and utilities. The finance and properties sectors have the largest weighting in the index, accounting for about one-third of its composition. The other two sectors – red chips and utilities – make up the rest of the index. Red chips are companies that are incorporated in Hong Kong but have substantial business operations in mainland China.
The index is considered to be very liquid, with a large amount of trading activity taking place daily. As of early 2018, the average daily trading volumes exceeded 11 billion Hong Kong dollars. The index is also known for its volatile and unpredictable nature, with large swings in prices sometimes occurring over short periods of time.
The index is also closely linked to the fortunes of the larger Chinese economy and, as a result, is often volatile when there are macroeconomic or political issues in the Chinese market. In particular, the index has been extremely volatile during the trade war between the United States and China, with prices dropping sharply in response to any negative news from the conflict.
Despite its volatility, the index is closely followed by investors from around the world and remains one of the best ways to track the performance of the Hong Kong stock market. It is often used as a benchmark to compare the performance of other markets in the region, including the Shanghai Composite Index and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.