Hong Kong derivatives volumes rise in 2001

Derivatives trading volumes in Hong Kong soared to new highs last year, with total futures and options contract volumes rising by 13.9% in 2001 from the previous year, according to the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx).

Among the most active contracts were the three-month Hong Kong interbank offered rate futures and the Hang Seng Index (HSI) options, which increased by 93.6% and 31.6% respectively.

The mini-HSI futures’ December 2001 volume of 75,222 contracts was up 78% from December 2000, with the average daily volume in December 2001 at 4,179 – almost double the figure for the previous year. A total of 6,945 stock futures contracts were traded in 2001, compared with 3,322 in 2000. The 2001 volume for three-year exchange-funded notes futures, which were introduced in mid-November, was 1,175 contracts.