HKEX launches new AI and semiconductor indexes to attract investors

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has launched two new stock market indexes tracking artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor companies, as it looks to expand investment opportunities in some of the technology industry’s fastest-growing sectors.

Announced on 23 October 2026, the new HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index and HKEX Semiconductor Index are designed to help investors track the performance of Hong Kong-listed businesses involved in AI development, chip manufacturing and related technologies.

The exchange has also signed a licensing agreement with China Southern Asset Management to develop exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on the new AI index for investors in mainland China. Details of the planned ETF products, including their launch dates, have yet to be announced.

New index covers the AI industry

The HKEX Artificial Intelligence Index tracks 40 Hong Kong-listed companies with significant exposure to the AI value chain.

Rather than concentrating solely on companies developing AI models, the index covers five areas of the wider AI ecosystem: chip design, data centres, AI infrastructure, AI models, and software and physical applications.

This approach is intended to provide broader exposure to businesses supporting the development and deployment of AI technologies, including the hardware and infrastructure needed to run increasingly demanding AI workloads.

According to HKEX, companies are selected and weighted using a methodology that considers their underlying business fundamentals, with an emphasis on investment in AI-related research and development (R&D) and capital expenditure.

The index is therefore designed to reflect activity across multiple layers of the AI industry rather than focusing exclusively on software developers or individual technology companies.

Semiconductor index tracks 30 companies

The second benchmark, the HKEX Semiconductor Index, tracks the 30 largest semiconductor-related companies listed in Hong Kong.

It covers a broad range of businesses involved in semiconductor manufacturing, production equipment, electronic components, computing hardware and data storage.

Semiconductors are essential components in modern computing infrastructure, including AI accelerators, servers, networking equipment and consumer electronics. Demand for increasingly powerful chips has grown alongside the expansion of AI applications and the construction of data centres.

By introducing a dedicated semiconductor index, HKEX aims to give investors a benchmark for following the performance of companies across Hong Kong’s semiconductor industry.

Both indexes form part of the exchange’s wider strategy to expand its range of investment benchmarks and products linked to emerging technology sectors.

Mainland China investment opportunities

The agreement with China Southern Asset Management is a significant part of the announcement, potentially making it easier for mainland Chinese investors to gain exposure to Hong Kong-listed AI companies through ETFs tracking the new index.

ETFs allow investors to buy shares in a fund designed to follow an underlying index, providing exposure to multiple companies through a single investment product.

The partnership could also strengthen financial links between Hong Kong and mainland China by creating additional investment products focused on the region’s technology sector.

HKEX said further details about the planned ETF products would be announced in due course. The agreement concerns products based on the AI index; the announcement did not confirm a corresponding ETF launch for the semiconductor index.

According to HKEX, the initiative is intended to expand investor choice and support the development of additional investment products linked to its indexes.

AI investment continues to reshape technology markets

The launch comes as artificial intelligence drives investment across the technology industry, from specialist chip development and data centre construction to software platforms and AI-powered applications.

The infrastructure supporting AI systems has become particularly important as companies invest in computing capacity, storage and networking to train and operate increasingly sophisticated models.

Semiconductor manufacturers and related equipment suppliers also play a central role in this expansion, making the sector an important area of interest for investors seeking exposure to the AI market.

By covering both AI-related businesses and the semiconductor supply chain, HKEX is positioning its new indexes to reflect two closely connected areas of technology investment.

However, the indexes are benchmarks rather than guarantees of investment performance. Their returns will depend on the performance of their constituent companies, which may be affected by market volatility, competition, regulatory developments and changes in technology spending.

The introduction of the indexes also does not, by itself, indicate that the planned ETFs will attract significant investment. Their eventual impact will depend partly on the products launched, investor demand and the performance of the underlying companies.