DEFINITION of Hang Seng Index (HSI)

The Hang Seng Index or HSI is a market capitalization-weighted index of the largest companies that trade on the Hong Kong Exchange. A subsidiary of the Hang Seng Bank maintains the Hang Seng Index and has done so since 1969. The index aims to capture the leadership of the Hong Kong exchange and covers approximately 65% of its total market capitalization. Hang Seng members also fall into one of four sub-indexes, including commerce and industry, finance, utilities, and properties.

BREAKING DOWN Hang Seng Index (HSI)

The Hang Seng is the most widely quoted barometer for the Hong Kong economy. Because of Hong Kong's status as a special administrative region of China, there are close ties between the two economies, and many Chinese companies are listed on the Hong Kong Exchange.

The top thirty holdings in the Hang Seng Index as of June 2018 were:

These are in order of trading volume (largest to smallest).

Recent News About the Hang Seng Index

On June 14, 2018 the Hang Seng Index dropped more than 375 points or 1.2 per cent. This was primarily due to concerns over tighter mortgage lending, following the monetary authority of Hong Kong’s matching the Federal Reserve in lifting interest rates 25 basis points The stocks of property developers Sino Land (HKG: 0083), Hang Lund Properties (HKG: 0101), and Sun Hung Kai Properties (HKG: 0016) were also down 2.2%, 1.7%, and 1.4%, respectively. Despite the event, Moody’s commented that Hong Kong banks are likely to show wider margins and become more profitable as interest rates continue to rise.