Founded in 1984, the Hang Seng index is made up of the Hong Kong stock market’s largest companies by market capitalisation. If you want to get exposure to this key global market, the Hang Seng index could be a good starting point. Here’s what you need to know about how to invest in the Hang Seng.
The Hang Seng is a stock market index that tracks the performance of some of the biggest, blue-chip companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It comprises 4 sub-indexes: finance, industry, real estate investment trusts and utilities. The index has aimed to include a total of 60 companies, though the actual number can fluctuate around this target.
Yes. These days, many share-trading platforms and brokers offer access to Hong Kong stock markets. One of the most straightforward ways to gain exposure to the Hong Kong stock market is to invest in index or tracker funds that mirror the performance of the Hang Seng index.
"The Hang Seng comprises some of the biggest companies in China. If you’re looking to expand your investment portfolio globally, it can be a good place to start in terms of gaining exposure to Chinese stocks. It also includes some major global technology firms.
However, the Hang Seng can be volatile. This makes it pretty popular with some investors, who are willing to trade higher risk with higher reward. But if you’re more risk averse, there may be more stable international markets to consider first."
There are some well-known international brands on the Hang Seng index, including mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi, laptop producer Lenovo and online retail giant Alibaba, alongside a number of Chinese firms you may not have heard of.
Regardless of whether you’ve heard of a company, it’s important to do your due diligence by thoroughly researching the prospects of any company you’re thinking of investing in.
There are 2 main ways to invest in the Hang Seng. You can buy shares in each individual company (or a selection of them). Alternatively, you can invest in an ETF or index fund that tracks the performance of the Hang Seng. To do either, you’ll need to follow the following steps:
This searchable table of Hang Seng constituents is checked daily.
| Stock | Industry |
|---|---|
| Alibaba Health Information Technology Ltd (0241) | Pharmaceutical retailers |
| China Life Insurance Co Ltd (2628) | Insurance |
| ANTA Sports Products Ltd (2020) | Leisure |
| China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd (0762) | Telecom services |
| Sinopharm Group Co Ltd (1099) | Medical distribution |
| ENN Energy Holdings Ltd (2688) | Utilities - regulated gas |
| Citic Pacific (0267) | Conglomerates |
| Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd (0968) | Solar |
| Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd (2313) | Textile manufacturing |
| Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700) | Internet content & information |
| Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (1398) | Banks |
| Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd (0868) | Building materials |
| CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (0001) | Conglomerates |
| Ping An Insurance (2318) | Insurance |
| China Petroleum & Chemical Corp Class H (0386) | Oil & gas |
| Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd (0027) | Resorts & casinos |
| PetroChina Company Limited (0857) | Oil & gas |
| Sands China Ltd (1928) | Resorts & casinos |
| China Resources Beer Holdings Co Ltd (0291) | Beverages - brewers |
| Tingyi (0322) | Packaged foods |
| Wharf Real Estate Investment Co Ltd (1997) | Real estate services |
| Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd (0003) | Utilities - regulated gas |
| China Overseas (0688) | Real estate - development |
| China Resources Power Holding (0836) | Utilities |
| Power Assets (0006) | Utilities |
| Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (0175) | Auto manufacturers |
| Longfor Properties Co Ltd (0960) | Real estate - development |
| Li Ning Co Ltd (2331) | Leisure |
| AIA Group Ltd (1299) | Insurance |
| Henderson Land (0012) | Real estate |
| Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd (1177) | Biotechnology |
| Hang Lung Ppt (0101) | Real estate services |
| MTR Corp Ltd (0066) | Railroads |
| China Resources Land Ltd (1109) | Real estate - development |
| China Merchants Bank Co Ltd Class H (3968) | Banks |
| Lenovo Group (0992) | Computer hardware |
| China Mobile Ltd (0941) | Telecom services |
| Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Ltd (0388) | Financial data & stock exchanges |
| Techtronic Industries Co Ltd (0669) | Tools & accessories |
| BYD Company Limited (1211) | Auto manufacturers |
| CLP Holdings (0002) | Utilities |
| Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd (0881) | Auto & truck dealerships |
| China Telecom (0728) | Telecom services |
| Hengan Intl Group Ltd-H (1044) | Household & personal products |
| Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd (1929) | Luxury goods |
| BYD Electronic International Co Ltd (0285) | Electronic components |
| Link Real Estate Investment Trust (0823) | Reit - retail |
| China Hongqiao Group Ltd (1378) | Aluminium |
| China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd H (1088) | Thermal coal |
| CNOOC Ltd (0883) | Oil & gas |
| Bank of China Ltd H (3988) | Banks |
| CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd (1038) | Utilities |
| HSBC Holdings PLC (0005) | Banks |
| CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd (1093) | Drug manufacturers |
| Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (0981) | Semiconductors |
| China Mengniu Dairy Co (2319) | Packaged foods |
| Orient Overseas International Ltd (0316) | Marine shipping |
| China Construction Bank Corp (0939) | Banks |
| Sunny Optical Technology Group Co Ltd (2382) | Electronic components |
| BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd (2388) | Banks |
| Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd (0016) | Real estate - development |
| WH Group Ltd (0288) | Packaged foods |
| CK Asset Holdings Ltd (1113) | Real estate - development |
| WuXi Biologics (2269) | Biotechnology |
| Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd-H (2899) | Gold |
| Xiaomi Corp (1810) | Consumer electronics |
| Meituan (3690) | Internet retail |
| Innovent Biologics Inc (1801) | Biotechnology |
| Haidilao International Holding Ltd (6862) | Restaurants |
| Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (3692) | Drug manufacturers |
| Budweiser Brewing Company (1876) | Beverages - brewers |
| Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988) | Internet retail |
| WuXi AppTec Co Ltd H (2359) | Diagnostics & research |
| NetEase Inc (9999) | Electronic gaming & multimedia |
| Jd Com Inc (9618) | Internet retail |
| Nongfu Spring Co Ltd (9633) | Beverages - non-alcoholic |
| China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Serv (1209) | Real estate services |
| Pop Mart International Group Ltd (9992) | Leisure |
| Haier Smart Home Co Ltd (6690) | Furnishings, fixtures & appliances |
| Jd Health International Inc (6618) | Pharmaceutical retailers |
| Kuaishou Technology (1024) | Internet content & information |
| Baidu Inc (9888) | Internet content & information |
| New Oriental Education And Tech Inc (9901) | Education & training services |
| Zto Express Cayman Inc (2057) | Logistics |
| Trip.com Group Ltd (9961) | Travel services |
| Li Auto Inc (2015) | Auto manufacturers |
| JD Logistics Inc (2618) | Logistics |
| Midea Group Co., Ltd. (0300) | Furnishings, fixtures & appliances |
Yes. Investing in an exchange traded fund (ETF) is one of the easiest ways to get exposure to the Hang Seng index. ETFs are virtual portfolios of stocks that are created to reflect the behaviour of an underlying index, such as the Hang Seng.
Many Hang Seng ETFs will track the performance of the full Hang Seng index, though you may also find some ETFs that track only a subset – such as Hang Seng technology companies.
You can trade stocks on the Hong Kong stock market from 9:30am to 4pm Monday to Friday Hong Kong standard time (that’s 1:30am to 8am in GMT, so you’ll need to be an early bird to get the worm). On some public holidays, the Hong Kong stock market is closed between midday and 1pm.
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Read the full methodologyInvesting in the Hang Seng is a popular way to gain exposure to Chinese investments. You can either invest in ETFs or funds that track the index or choose shares in individual companies that are listed. Make sure you choose a broker that lets you trade international stocks, and check trading fees (including any extra ones for overseas trades) before you begin.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
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