Guide to Opening a Hong Kong Stock Account: Detailed Comparison of Five Major Hong Kong Securities Firms

Investing in Hong Kong stocks, choosing the right brokerage is crucial. I have collected the real experiences and personal insights of investors to outline the most commonly used and distinctive Hong Kong securities firms, and conducted a comprehensive comparison in terms of fees, platform design, etc., to help you find the most suitable option for opening a Hong Kong stock account.

Ranking of the Five Major Securities Firms in Hong Kong

Comparison of Brokerage Fees

Detailed Evaluation of Brokers

Suitable for beginner investors - Changqiao Securities

Deposit Requirement: 11,000 HKD (Deposit of 40,000 HKD to receive a reward)

Platform Features：

• Developed by the former technology teams of Alibaba and ByteDance
• Positioned as a “social” brokerage, allowing live streaming and interaction with investors.
• Simplified presentation of financial data, beginners can also understand.
• Unique “stock list” feature, similar to a music sharing playlist.

Disadvantages: Limited selection of trading products, mainly stocks, ETFs, and derivatives.

Suitable for experienced investors - IB Interactive Brokers

Deposit Requirement: $10,000

Platform Features：

• One of the largest online brokerage firms in the United States, rated investment grade by S&P.
• A single account can trade stocks, options, and more across 150 global markets.
• Powerful analysis and research tools, including fundamental explorers, etc.
• No agent fee for dividend collection, relatively low financing interest rate

Disadvantages:

• The interface is complex, making it difficult for beginners to get started.
• If the funds do not reach $100,000 or the monthly trading commission does not reach $10, a monthly fee will be charged.
• Some real-time market data requires payment.

No Hong Kong Bank Card - Huasheng Securities

Deposit Requirement: 10,000 HKD

Platform Features:

• Under the Sina Group, it integrates a large amount of financial news and analysis.
• One-stop service, able to trade Hong Kong stocks, US stocks, A shares, etc.
• The charting feature is user-friendly and provides free real-time quotes.
• You can open an account without a Hong Kong bank card.

Disadvantages:

• Server stability needs to be improved.
• The published news sometimes lacks objectivity.

Lowest fees - Webull Securities

Deposit Requirement: 10,000 HKD/10,000 CNY/1,300 USD

Platform Features：

• Regularly launches zero commission and zero platform fee promotions.
• The financing interest rate is relatively favorable, significantly reducing trading costs.
• Provides mutual fund trading with no subscription or redemption fees.

Disadvantages:

• The investment products are not comprehensive enough, lacking bonds, foreign exchange, etc.
• Have independent settlement rights, customer funds must be self-custodied.

Best for Mobile - Futu Securities

Deposit Requirement: 10,000 HKD

Platform Features:

• Tencent Group investment, listed on NASDAQ
• Self-developed trading platform with built-in active community features
• The chart and stock selection features are powerful, comparable to professional platforms.
• Supports US stock IPO and Hong Kong new stock subscription

Disadvantages:

• Unable to deposit with credit card, futures and CFD trading are not supported.
• The financing interest rate is relatively high

Other ways to invest in Hong Kong stocks

In addition to directly opening a Hong Kong securities account, there are two other ways to participate in the Hong Kong stock market:

1. Hong Kong Stock Re-Delegated Trading: Through domestic brokers that have overseas securities re-delegated business, the cost is relatively high but the funds remain in the domestic market, and any issues can be directly addressed with domestic brokers.

2. Hong Kong Stock Contract for Difference Trading: Instead of actually holding stocks, trading is done on price fluctuations. The advantage is the flexibility of strategies, allowing for both long and short positions, setting stop losses and limit prices, and some platforms even offer zero commission trading.

I personally believe that while opening an account directly in Hong Kong has low fees and allows participation in new listings, managing overseas assets is not easy and the associated risks are significant. For most investors, choosing the most suitable method based on their own situation is the wise course of action.

The current market shows that Bitcoin has just experienced a significant correction, and the US stock market has also shown volatility due to Trump's comments on increasing tariffs. Investors need to be more cautious when entering the Hong Kong stock market.