Hong Kong expected to add healthcare and technology stocks to benchmark index – BNN Bloomberg

Hong Kong expected to add healthcare and technology stocks to benchmark index – BNN Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index may add more healthcare, technology and logistics stocks in an upcoming quarterly review after only one company was added to the index in May.

Chinese pharmaceutical company Innovent Biologics Inc., chip packaging provider ASMPT Ltd and container shipping company Cosco Shipping Holdings Co. are among the names being traded by analysts as candidates for inclusion in the stock index. Hang Seng Indexes Co. will announce the results on Friday.

With no changes in membership in February and only one new addition in May, more new entries are expected this time around. The benchmark currently has 82 members, and the index creator plans to increase the number to 100 and achieve a more balanced representation of industries.

“Healthcare is still the only sector with less than 50 percent index coverage,” said Rebecca Sin, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “BeiGene Ltd and Innovent Biologics could be two companies to be included in the index as they lead the weighting in the Hang Seng Biotech Index.”

China International Capital Corp.’s recommendations also include Innovent and Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng Inc.

The Hang Seng index is reeling after four years of consecutive losses, influenced by political hopes and an uncertain Chinese economic forecast. After a bull market start at the beginning of the year, the index has lost about 13 percent since its peak in May. Sentiment has turned slightly more optimistic as earnings season approaches and companies look to increase dividends.

Shipping companies such as Cosco Shipping and clean energy companies such as CMOC Group Ltd. also have a high probability of new entrants given their underrepresentation, says Janaghan Jeyakumar, an analyst who writes for independent research provider Smartkarma.

“We also feel that the index provider is making more room for IT names,” he said, naming ASMPT and VTech Holdings as top candidates for the category.

– With support from Jack Wang and Mengchen Lu.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *