When US banks such as JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs say they plan to delist hundreds of Hong Kong-listed structured products investors should take their cue to leave.
On Monday, the US executive order banning investment in companies with alleged Chinese military ties went into effect. The 500 structured products targeted by US banks include those linked to sanctioned stocks of telecom operators China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Derivatives on Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index are also on the list.
A vast portfolio rebalancing is being triggered by the still hazy US sanctions. Foreign investors were a key driving force in last year’s rally in Hong Kong and mainland listed Chinese stocks. A sell-off by global passive index funds is now expected.