Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, addresses the listing ceremony of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in south China's Hong Kong, May 20, 2025 (Xinhua/Chen Duo)

Applications for initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong had surged to around 200 so far in 2025 as investors are bullish about the Hong Kong bourse in the second half of this year, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, wrote on his blog on July 6.

Companies from the Middle East and Southeast Asia were among the applicants for IPOs, said Chan.

A total of 42 IPOs in the first six months raised over 107 billion Hong Kong dollars (13.63 billion U.S. dollars), landing Hong Kong the top spot in the world in terms of IPO proceeds.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index had hiked 20 percent, or more than 4,000 points, over the first half of 2025. The biggest-ever half-year increase by points was buoyed by investor preference on tech-related stocks, noted Chan.

Brisk trading of tech-related derivatives made exchange-traded products (ETPs) a major provider of liquidity in Hong Kong's securities market in recent years. Hong Kong has over 210 listed ETPs, according to the financial secretary.

The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited is working to list more exchange-traded funds, one of the best-known types of ETP, to help finance the growth of the real economy, Chan said.