Asian-Indices on ForexBullion - Market News, Analysis & Live Rates

Hang Seng Index

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

About the Hang Seng Index

The Hang Seng Index (HSI) is the benchmark stock market index for Hong Kong, tracking the 80 largest and most liquid companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). Created in 1969 by the Hang Seng Bank, the index has evolved from a purely Hong Kong-focused barometer to a major gateway for international investors seeking exposure to China’s economy. Many of China’s largest companies, including major technology, financial, and consumer firms, maintain Hong Kong listings, making the HSI effectively a proxy for Chinese corporate performance accessible to global capital. The Hong Kong market also hosts numerous “H-shares” (mainland Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong) and “red chips” (state-owned enterprises incorporated outside the mainland), giving the Hang Seng a unique blend of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese economic exposure.

Nikkei 225

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

About the Nikkei 225

The Nikkei 225 is Japan’s most widely quoted and historically significant stock market index, tracking 225 leading companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Calculated since 1950 and backdated to 1949, the Nikkei is price-weighted like the Dow Jones, meaning higher-priced stocks have a greater influence regardless of company size. Japan has the world’s third-largest economy, and the Nikkei 225 includes iconic global brands such as Toyota, Sony, Keyence, Softbank, and Fast Retailing. The index has a dramatic history, including its peak of nearly 39,000 in December 1989 during the Japanese asset bubble, followed by decades of stagnation. In recent years, corporate governance reforms, a weak yen, and renewed foreign investor interest have driven a strong recovery that has brought the index back toward those historic highs.