Giving up MSCI licensing may hurt but SGX has more strings to its bow

THE rivalry between Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing (HKEx) has been cast into the spotlight once again.

This time, it was triggered by news that the Hong Kong bourse has struck a deal for a suite of MSCI equity indexes leading to an initial 37 futures and options contracts similar to those offered on SGX.

The Singapore bourse has decided to let its agreement to carry these equity index futures and options, save the Singapore ones, lapse come February 2021.