Hang Seng Index revision to lift China profile – Chris Oliver

From MarketWatch:

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index will adopt a new weighting methodology and expand the number of constituent shares to 38 from 33, in the biggest overhaul of the index in its 37-year history.

Spokesmen for compiler HSI Services Ltd said Friday they will cap individual constituent weightings at 15% using a free-float-adjusted market-capitalization-weighted formula. The change will halve the weighting of HSBC Holdings PLC, (HK:5: news, chart, profile) currently the biggest constituent, from its current 30%.

The index compiler also said it would change rules to enable Hong Kong-listed shares of China-based companies — so-called H shares — to join the Hang Seng Index. All five new additions to the benchmark index are expected to be H shares, reflecting the growing presence of China companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. [Full Text]

See also: – Shares soar on hint by The Standard