Economy

Markets

Industries

Insights

Reports

Events

China Resources Land to join Hang Seng index

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-12 11:34

China Resources Land Ltd may join Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index following a quarterly review of the stock gauge, Nomura Holdings Inc said.

COSCO Pacific Ltd, a container-terminal operator, may be removed from the 42-member gauge when Hang Seng Indexes Co announces its decision on Aug 14, the brokerage said. COSCO Pacific's 12-month average market capitalization is ranked 89th among Hong Kong-listed companies, according to Sandy Lee, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Nomura. China Resources is ranked 36th.

"The market cap of COSCO Pacific has gone down so much," Lee said in an interview yesterday. "If it does get removed, they have got to add another stock."

Hang Seng Indexes said in February 2007 it plans to expand the benchmark gauge to 50 members. Lee does not expect any net reduction in membership.

The amendments, based on criteria such as market capitalization and trading volume, may prompt funds that buy shares based on the index to adjust their holdings. Changes will take effect on Sept 7, Nomura's Lee said in a report last week.

Belle International Holdings Ltd, a retailer of women's shoes in China, was also picked by Nomura as a potential candidate to be included in the benchmark index.

"Whether both China Resources Land and Belle will join, that's hard to say," Lee said.

BYD Co may be added to the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, according to a report from Lee dated Aug 3. The electric car-maker in which Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc agreed last year to take a minority stake surged 254 percent in 2009 through yesterday.

China Resources Land, a State-owned developer, climbed 81 percent this year, compared with a 45 percent advance in the Hang Seng Index. Should it be included in the gauge, it will be the third China Resources (Holdings) Co company to become a constituent, after China Resources Enterprise Ltd and China Resources Power Holdings Co.

Belle surged 118 percent this year. COSCO Pacific, Asia's third-biggest container-terminal operator, gained 63 percent in that period.

"On industry mix concerns, we believe that China Resources Land and Belle International have a greater chance of being considered for inclusion, since the consumer goods and properties and construction sectors are underweighted in the Hang Seng Index," Nomura's Lee wrote in her report.