Investment Rating - The investment rating for Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - The report highlights a significant improvement in ADT-related businesses, indicating potential for valuation uplift. The company's revenue and profit attributable to shareholders for the first three quarters of 2025 reached HKD 218.5 billion and HKD 134.2 billion, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 37% and 45% [5][6] - The report anticipates continued high growth in the company's fundamentals, driven by increased trading volumes and a favorable market environment, including the return of Chinese concept stocks and sustained net inflows from southbound capital [5][6] Financial Performance Summary - For Q1-Q3 2025, trading, settlement, listing, custody, data, and other investment net income grew by 57%, 66%, 16%, 25%, 8%, 10%, and 4% year-on-year, respectively. The core driver of revenue growth is the significant increase in trading and settlement fees directly linked to ADT [5][6] - The report revises the ADT assumptions for Hong Kong stocks for 2025-2027 to HKD 2,580 billion, HKD 2,620 billion, and HKD 2,700 billion, reflecting year-on-year growth of 96%, 2%, and 3%, respectively. The forecast for net profit attributable to shareholders is adjusted to HKD 179 billion, HKD 192 billion, and HKD 202 billion for the same period, with corresponding EPS of HKD 14, HKD 15, and HKD 16 [5][6] Market Trends and Drivers - The report notes a robust primary market for Hong Kong stocks, with 69 new listings in Q1-Q3 2025, a 53% increase year-on-year, and total fundraising amounting to HKD 1,883 billion, more than three times that of the same period in 2024. The number of new stock applications being processed reached 297, over three times the 84 applications at the end of 2024 [7] - The report emphasizes that the high trading volume indirectly boosts income from custody, trustee, and agent services, as well as market data fees, which grew by 25% and 8% year-on-year, respectively [7] Valuation and Dividend Outlook - The investment income for Q1-Q3 2025 was HKD 38.9 billion, a 4% year-on-year increase. The expected dividend yield for 2025 is projected at 3.0%, assuming a constant payout ratio of 90%. The report suggests that a potential interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve could drive foreign capital back to the Hong Kong market, benefiting the exchange [8] - The current PE ratio is 31.2, positioned at the 22nd percentile over the past decade, with a dynamic PE of 30.2, indicating potential for valuation improvement [8]