Group 1: Eurozone Banking Challenges - Eurozone banks are facing significant challenges due to a sell-off in US Treasury securities and a weakening dollar, complicating their reliance on USD-denominated liquid assets [3][8] - The interconnectedness of global financial systems is highlighted, with trade disputes potentially impacting monetary stability [3] Group 2: Geopolitical Developments in Ukraine - A notable shift in the Ukraine conflict has occurred, with President Zelenskiy and European leaders supporting President Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire and using the current line of contact as a basis for negotiations [4][8] - Discussions include potential territorial exchanges and the need for strong security guarantees for Ukraine [4] Group 3: China's Oil Import Quota - China has set its crude oil import quota for non-state trade for 2026 at 257 million metric tons, unchanged from 2025, indicating a consistent energy import strategy [5][8] - The country aims to expand its strategic petroleum reserves to approximately 1 billion barrels by 2026, which is crucial for global oil balances amid projected supply gluts [5] Group 4: US Government Shutdown - The US government shutdown has entered its fourth week, with discussions among Republicans about a longer stopgap bill to fund the government as the initial deadline approaches [6][8] - The ongoing fiscal uncertainty has led to widespread frustration among the public, as indicated by a recent poll [6] Group 5: CBOE Trading Hours Extension - CBOE is proposing to extend options trading hours to include new morning and afternoon sessions, aiming to enhance global market access and align with underlying equities [9] - This initiative responds to a 68% surge in options volume over the past two years, indicating growing demand for extended trading hours [9] Group 6: Energy Sector Developments - Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan have initiated an open season for a proposed fuel pipeline system from Texas to Arizona and California to address West Coast supply concerns due to refinery closures [10] - The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments regarding President Trump's tariffs, which have been claimed to amount to an illegal $3 trillion tax [10] - France's retail sales experienced a year-on-year decline of -1.2% in September, following a previous drop of -1.0% [10]

Group 1 - Cboe Global Markets is seeking to extend trading hours for U.S. equity options, aiming to move towards "near 24/5" trading [1] - The proposed new trading periods include an early session from 7:30 to 9:25 and a post-market session from 16:00 to 16:15 [1] - This initiative aligns with the growing trend of extended trading hours in the U.S. market, driven by increased demand from retail investors and a surge in 0DTE (zero days to expiration) contracts [1] Group 2 - The demand for extended trading hours has significantly increased post-COVID-19, as investors need to respond to market events in real-time [2] - Several trading platforms, including Robinhood and Interactive Brokers, have already enabled 24-hour trading for U.S. stocks through alternative systems [2] - For true 24-hour trading to be implemented on major exchanges like Nasdaq or NYSE, upgrades to clearing infrastructure by DTCC and SIP are necessary [2]

Core Insights - Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) anticipates continued growth in its ETF market following record turnover and new listings this year [1] - The average daily turnover in ETFs reached a record HK$37.8 billion (US$4.8 billion) in the first nine months, with 225 ETFs attracting more investors from various regions [1][5] - Hong Kong is now the world's third-largest ETF market, with a market size of HK$315.8 billion, trailing mainland China and the US [3] Market Performance - The benchmark Hang Seng Index increased by 35% in the first nine months, making it one of the best-performing major indices globally [5] - Mainland investors traded an average of HK$4.2 billion in ETFs per day in Hong Kong, marking a 128% increase year-on-year [7] - International investors' trading in mainland ETFs grew by 142% to 3.2 billion yuan (US$449 million) per day [7] Connectivity and Growth Factors - Connectivity is deemed critical for the growth of the Hong Kong ETF market, as highlighted by HKEX's head of exchange-traded products [4] - The cross-border ETF Connect mechanism has facilitated international investors' access to 273 ETFs listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen, while allowing mainland investors to access 17 ETFs in Hong Kong [5]

Summary of Hong Kong Exchanges (0388.HK) Research Call Company Overview - **Company**: Hong Kong Exchanges (HKEX) - **Ticker**: 0388.HK - **Market Capitalization**: HK$538.1 billion / $69.2 billion Key Financial Updates - **Earnings Per Share (EPS) Estimates**: - Revised for FY2025E: +0.8% - Revised for FY2026E: -0.5% - Revised for FY2027E: +0.1% - FY2028E EPS introduced at HK$15.4 [1][2][3] - **Revenue Projections**: - FY2025E: HK$27,732.1 million - FY2026E: HK$28,891.9 million - FY2027E: HK$30,861.9 million [3] - **Price Target**: - 12-month target price remains at HK$544, implying a 40X P/E for FY2026E [1][2][3] Investment Thesis - **Rating**: Buy - **Upside Potential**: 28.2% from current price of HK$424.40 [3] Risks Identified - Increased competition from onshore capital markets [2] - Lower trading velocity in the cash market [2] - Fee pressure due to reduced fees onshore in China [2] - Sustained deflationary environment in China [2] Financial Ratios - **P/E Ratios**: - FY2025E: 25.4 - FY2026E: 32.5 - FY2027E: 31.3 - FY2028E: 29.3 [3] - **Return on Equity (ROE)**: - FY2025E: 24.8% - FY2026E: 29.7% - FY2027E: 29.2% - FY2028E: 26.5% [3] - **Dividend Per Share (DPS)**: - FY2025E: HK$11.69 - FY2026E: HK$12.19 - FY2027E: HK$13.02 [3] Additional Insights - The investment thesis remains unchanged despite minor adjustments in EPS estimates [1] - The methodology for the price target is based on a 3-stage Dividend Discount Model (DDM) [2] - The report highlights the importance of monitoring macroeconomic conditions in China, which could impact HKEX's performance [2] Conclusion - HKEX is positioned for growth with a solid investment rating and a clear target price, but investors should remain cautious of the identified risks that could affect future performance [1][2][3]

Investment & Expansion - Coinbase Global invested in Mumbai-based CoinDCX [1] - The investment aims to deepen Coinbase's exposure to India and the Middle East [1]

ASX aims to encourage more listings by speeding up IPOs and broadening index eligibility, as Australia’s main exchange operator contends with competition from Cboe Global Markets https://t.co/tVmRnMn4zH ...

Core Viewpoint - Raymond James upgraded Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) from Outperform to Strong Buy with a price target of $210.00, citing the company's strong long-term growth potential despite a temporary decline in trading activity [1]. Group 1: Trading Activity and Market Conditions - Subdued market volatility and lack of major weather-related disruptions negatively impacted ICE's energy futures trading volumes in Q3 [2]. - Analysts consider these factors as short-term issues, suggesting that ICE will benefit from the ongoing globalization of energy markets [2]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape and Business Model - Concerns regarding artificial intelligence as a competitive threat to ICE are downplayed, with analysts highlighting the company's diversified business model and established market infrastructure as sources of resilience [3]. - The merger between Rocket Mortgage and Mr. Cooper is identified as a potential catalyst for ICE's mortgage technology business [3]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Analysts assert that ICE has built a robust and diversified platform capable of delivering consistent revenue and earnings growth across different market conditions [4]. - The current valuation of ICE, at approximately 21 times its 2026 non-GAAP EPS estimate, is viewed as attractive by analysts [4].

Core Viewpoint - CITIC Securities maintains a "Buy" rating for Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) with a target price of HKD 543, citing liquidity expectations from the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts, continuous inflow of southbound funds, and valuation advantages as key factors supporting the high activity level in the Hong Kong stock market in Q4 [1] Group 1: Market Conditions - The Hong Kong stock market has shown a recovery in valuation since April, driven by high average daily trading volume and sustained buying from southbound funds [1] - As of October 10, 2025, HKEX's PE (TTM) stands at 36.49x, positioned at the 72.15%, 71.85%, and 47.43% percentiles over the past 1, 3, and 5 years respectively [1] - The company is expected to achieve high year-on-year growth in Q3 earnings, with projected revenues of HKD 79.11 billion (up 47.26%) and net profit of HKD 48.24 billion (up 53.38%) [2] Group 2: Future Projections - Revenue forecasts for 2025, 2026, and 2027 are projected to be HKD 286.25 billion, HKD 303.21 billion, and HKD 306.75 billion respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 27.94%, 5.93%, and 1.17% [2] - Net profit forecasts for the same years are HKD 179.02 billion, HKD 194.44 billion, and HKD 198.57 billion, reflecting year-on-year growth rates of 40.88%, 8.62%, and 2.13% [2] Group 3: Supporting Factors - The Federal Reserve's shift in monetary policy, including interest rate cuts, is expected to enhance liquidity in emerging markets, providing support for the Hong Kong stock market [2] - Southbound funds have seen a net inflow exceeding HKD 1 trillion since the beginning of 2025, driven by the low valuation of Hong Kong stocks and liquidity spillover from the A-share market [3] - The valuation of the Hang Seng Index remains attractive, with a PE-TTM of approximately 11.95x, which is at the 64% percentile over the past 20 years, highlighting the "valuation pit" effect of Hong Kong stocks compared to the CSI 300's 14.24x [3]

Hyperliquid founder Jeff criticized certain centralized exchanges for severely underreporting liquidation data, noting that even if thousands of liquidations occur within a single second, only one may be publicly shown—resulting in actual underreporting by up to 100 times.https://t.co/zKarkYtFAV ...

Market Regulation - The Stock Exchange of Thailand is considering easing some of its rules to boost market liquidity [1]