HONG KONG (March 11): Morgan Stanley has started hiring contract staff in Hong Kong to handle a surge in stock listings, aiming to control costs while meeting stronger demand in the Asian financial hub, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The team participates in due diligence work for Hong Kong and US IPOs, mainly for Chinese companies, including conducting site visits and due diligence meetings, according to the sources. The bank's hiring of contract staff in Hong Kong has not been previously reported. War in the Middle East has weighed on sentiment, affecting the market debuts of three Chinese companies in Hong Kong this week and clouding the outlook for IPOs after a strong start to the year. Hong Kong was the world's top listing venue in 2025 with IPO proceeds surging 231% to US$37.4 billion and total equity capital market fundraising rose 164% to US$103 billion, according to data from the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Source: The Edge Markets March 11, 2026 09:46 UTC