Stock Code Balloting Scheme

Each issuer that is approved for listing is invited to select a stock code. Five stock codes will be drawn by the Exchange from a pool of 50 available stock codes (Normal Ballot Pool), and the issuer may choose one from the five stock codes. The Exchange does not charge for the Stock Code Balloting Scheme.

Stock Code for Charity Scheme

Recognising that a company’s stock code forms an integral part of how investors identify individual securities, and some numbers may be regarded as having auspicious or special meanings, the Exchange launched the Stock Code Balloting for Charity Scheme in November 1999 to raise money for worthwhile causes as the demand for auspicious codes for new listings increased and HKEX sought to encourage more donations to charity.

Effective 1 March 2021, under the updated Stock Code for Charity Scheme, if a successful listing candidate or product issuer has a preference for a particular code – available either in the Normal Ballot Pool or Special Pool (i.e., numbers deemed to be auspicious) subject to prevailing Stock Code Allocation Plan – it may choose one stock code without going through the balloting process. In this instance, a minimum donation of HK$3 million and HK$2 million will be required for each security of Main Board and GEM company respectively, while a minimum donation of HK$1 million will be required for each Exchange Traded Product (including Exchange Traded Fund and Leveraged & Inverse Product).

All donations made by successful listed issuers will go to HKEX Foundation Limited (HKEX Foundation), a recognised charitable institution which is exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance in Hong Kong.

As part of HKEX’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which it operates, HKEX Foundation selectively invests and supports community projects that help address various social and environmental challenges faced by the society. This includes donation to The Community Chest of Hong Kong, which HKEX has been supporting for more than 20 years, benefitting its member social welfare agencies, serving those in need in Hong Kong.

For information about HKEX Foundation’s philanthropic initiatives, please refer to the HKEX Group website.