Hong Kong's Exchange Fund total assets drop HK$27bn in September
Hong Kong's Exchange Fund total assets fell by HK$27bn to HK$4,308.4bn in September 2026, driven by market revaluation of foreign and Hong Kong dollar assets. The monetary base rose 0.5 per cent to HK$2,090.2bn, while the backing ratio edged down to 111.66 per cent.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced on 30 October that the Exchange Fund's total assets stood at HK$4,308.4 billion as of 30 September 2026, a decrease of HK$27 billion from the end of August 2026. Foreign currency assets fell by HK$19.4 billion, mainly due to market revaluation, while Hong Kong dollar assets declined by HK$7.6 billion, largely reflecting the revaluation of Hong Kong stocks.
According to the Currency Board Account, the monetary base reached HK$2,090.2 billion at the end of September, an increase of HK$10 billion, or 0.5 per cent, from the previous month. The rise was primarily driven by an increase in the total value of Certificates of Indebtedness and the amortisation of discounts on outstanding Exchange Fund bills and bonds.
The total backing assets grew by HK$4.1 billion, or 0.2 per cent, to HK$2,334.0 billion at the end of September. The increase was mainly attributable to interest income from investments and the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness, partially offset by market revaluation of investments. The backing ratio fell from 112.00 per cent at the end of August to 111.66 per cent at the end of September.
The HKMA currently issues four monthly press releases on Exchange Fund data. Three are published under the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard, and the fourth, comprising the Exchange Fund balance sheet summary and Currency Board Account, is released to support the HKMA's policy of high transparency. The release schedule for October 2026 was provided in the announcement.
