Hong Kong bourse plans to start zero-day options in early 2027

[HONG KONG] Hong Kong’s stock exchange is working on introducing options expiring within a day next year, joining a global trend towards shorter-dated bets that’s sent US derivatives volume ballooning.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited (HKEX) plans to roll out so-called zero-days to expiry contracts on the benchmark Hang Seng Index in the first quarter of 2027, according to sources familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private.

The bourse in 2025 was said to be seeking to launch the derivatives as soon as the first half of this year.

A HKEX representative declined to comment for this story.

Known as 0DTEs, the instruments allow traders to express short-term views and make tactical bets on intraday market moves, volatility events and data releases.

They were introduced in the US in 2022 and have since transformed trading dynamics, with contracts expiring daily now accounting for more than half of the total S&P 500 Index options volume.

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The proposed launch comes as HKEX looks to boost derivatives trading and compete more aggressively with global peers. It expanded its offerings of weekly contracts in 2024, launching them on the Hang Seng Tech Index and on 10 single stocks, and has boosted them since. BLOOMBERG