Risk Disclosures Statement

Risk Disclosures Statement

Before making investment decisions, investors should carefully consider whether investment products/ services are suitable considering their financial position, investment objectives and experiences, risk tolerance and other relevant circumstances. Meanwhile, investors should also understand the risks associated with investment products/ services.

General risks

Risk of Securities Trading

The prices of securities fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. The price of a security may move up or down and may become valueless. It is as likely that losses will be incurred rather than profit made as a result of buying and selling securities.

Risk of Trading Growth Enterprise Market stocks

Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) stocks involve a high investment risk. Companies may list on GEM with neither a track record of profitability nor any obligation to forecast future profitability. GEM stocks may be very volatile and illiquid.

You should make the decision to invest only after due and careful consideration. The greater risk profile and other characteristics of GEM mean that it is a market more suited to professional and other sophisticated investors.

Current information on GEM stocks may only be found on the internet website operated by The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. GEM Companies are usually not required to issue paid announcements in gazette newspapers.

You should seek independent professional advice if you are uncertain of or have not understood any aspect of this risk disclosure statement or the nature and risks involved in trading of GEM stocks.

Risks of Client Assets Received or Held Outside Hong Kong

Customer assets received or held by the Company outside Hong Kong are subject to the applicable laws and regulations of the relevant overseas jurisdiction which may be different from the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571) and the rules made thereunder. Consequently, such Customer assets may not enjoy the same protection as that conferred on Customer assets received or held in Hong Kong.

Risk of Providing an Authority to Repledge your Securities Collateral etc.

There is risk if you provide the licensed or registered person with an authority that allows it to apply your securities or securities collateral pursuant to a securities borrowing and lending agreement, repledge your securities collateral for financial accommodation or deposit your securities collateral as collateral for the discharge and satisfaction of its settlement obligations and liabilities.

If your securities or securities collateral are received or held by the licensed or registered person in Hong Kong, the above arrangement is allowed only if you consent in writing. Moreover, unless you are a professional investor, your authority must specify the period for which it is current and be limited to not more than 12 months. If you are a professional investor, these restrictions do not apply.

Additionally, your authority may be deemed to be renewed (i.e. without your written consent) if the licensed or registered person issues you a reminder at least 14 days prior to the expiry of the authority, and you do not object to such deemed renewal before the expiry date of your then existing authority.

You are not required by any law to sign these authorities. But an authority may be required by licensed or registered persons, for example, to facilitate margin lending to you or to allow your securities or securities collateral to be lent to or deposited as collateral with third parties. The licensed or registered person should explain to you the purposes for which one of these authorities is to be used.

If you sign one of these authorities and your securities or securities collateral are lent to or deposited with third parties, those third parties will have a lien or charge on your securities or securities collateral. Although the licensed or registered person is responsible to you for securities or securities collateral lent or deposited under your authority, a default by it could result in the loss of your securities or securities collateral.

A cash account not involving securities borrowing and lending is available from most licensed or registered persons. If you do not require margin facilities or do not wish your securities or securities collateral to be lent or pledged, do not sign the above authorities and ask to open this type of cash account.

Risk of Margin Trading

The risk of loss in financing a transaction by deposit of collateral is significant. You may sustain losses in excess of your cash and any other assets deposited as collateral with the Company. Market conditions may make it impossible to execute contingent orders, such as “stop-loss” or “stop-limit” orders. You may be called upon at short notice to make additional margin deposits or interest payments. If the required margin deposits or interest payments are not made within the prescribed time, your collateral may be liquidated without your consent. You should closely monitor your positions, as in some market conditions we may be unable to contact you or provide you with sufficient time to make the required deposits and forced liquidation may be necessary. Moreover, you will remain liable for any resulting deficit in your account and interest charged on your account. You should therefore carefully consider whether such a financing arrangement is suitable considering your own financial position and investment objectives.

Transactions in Other Jurisdictions

Transactions on markets in other jurisdictions, including markets formally linked to a domestic market, may expose you to additional risk. Such markets may be subject to regulation which may offer different or diminished investor protection. Before you trade you should enquire about any rules relevant to your transactions. Your local regulatory authority will be unable to compel the enforcement of the rules of regulatory authorities or markets in other jurisdictions where your transactions have been affected. You should ask the firm with which you deal for details about the types of redress available in both your home jurisdiction and other relevant jurisdictions before you start to trade.

Currency Risks

The profit or loss in transactions in foreign currency-denominated contracts (whether they are traded in your own or another jurisdiction) will be affected by fluctuations in currency rates where there is a need to convert from the currency denomination of the contract to another currency.

Risk of using the Electronic Services under the On-line Trading Agreement

If you undertake transactions via Electronic Services, you will be exposed to risks associated with the Electronic Services system including the failure of hardware and software, and the result of any system failure may be that your order is either not executed according to your instructions or is not executed at all;

Due to unpredictable traffic congestion and other reasons, Electronic Services may not be reliable, and Transactions conducted via Electronic Services may be subject to delays in transmission and receipt of your Instructions or other Information, delays in execution or execution of your Instructions at prices different from those prevailing at the time your Instructions were given, transmission interruption or blackout. There are risks of misunderstanding or errors in communications, and it is also usually not possible to cancel an Instruction after it has been given. The company accepts no responsibility for any loss which may be incurred by the Customer as a result of such interruptions or delays or access by third parties. You should not place nay Instruction with us via Electronic Services if you are not prepared to accept the risk of such interruptions or delays; and

Market data and other Information made available to the Customer through our Electronic Service may be obtained by the Company from third parties. While the Company believes such market data or information to be reliable, neither the Company nor such third parties guarantees the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of any such market data or information.

Risks Relating to Derivatives Products

Risk of Trading Futures and Options

This brief statement does not disclose all the risks and other significant aspects of trading in futures and options. Considering the risks, you should undertake such transactions only if you understand the nature of the contracts (and contractual relationships) into which you are entering and the extent of your exposure to risk. Trading in futures and options is not suitable for many members of the public. You should carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for you considering your experience, objectives, financial resources and other relevant circumstances.

Futures

1. Effect of “Leverage” or “Gearing”

Transactions in futures carry a high degree of risk. The amount of initial margin is small relative to the value of the futures contract so that transactions are “leveraged” or “geared”. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds you have deposited or will have to deposit: this may work against you as well as for you. You may sustain a total loss of initial margin funds and any additional funds deposited with the firm to maintain your position. If the market moves against your position or margin levels are increased, you may be called upon to pay substantial additional funds on short notice to maintain your position. If you fail to comply with a request for additional funds within the time prescribed, your position may be liquidated at a loss and you will be liable for any resulting deficit.

2. Risk-reducing orders or strategies

The placing of certain orders (e.g. “stop-loss” orders, or “stop-limit” orders) which are intended to limit losses to certain amounts may not be effective because market conditions may make it impossible to execute such orders. Strategies using combinations of positions, such as “spread” and “straddle” positions may be as risky as taking simple “long” or “short” positions.

Options

1. Variable degree of risk

Transactions in options carry a high degree of risk. Purchasers and sellers of options should familiarize themselves with the type of option (i.e. put or call) which they contemplate trading and the associated risks. You should calculate the extent to which the value of the options must increase for your position to become profitable, considering the premium and all transaction costs.

The purchaser of options may offset or exercise the options or allow the options to expire. The exercise of an option results either in a cash settlement or in the purchaser acquiring or delivering the underlying interest. If the option is on a futures contract, the purchaser will acquire a futures position with associated liabilities for margin (see the section on Futures above). If the purchased options expire worthless, you will suffer a total loss of your investment which will consist of the option premium plus transaction costs. If you are contemplating purchasing deep-out-of-the-money options, you should be aware that the chance of such options becoming profitable ordinarily is remote.

Selling (“writing” or “granting”) an option generally entails considerably greater risk than purchasing options. Although the premium received by the seller is fixed, the seller may sustain a loss well in excess of that amount. The seller will be liable for additional margin to maintain the position if the market moves unfavorably.

The seller will also be exposed to the risk of the purchaser exercising the option and the seller will be obligated to either settle the option in cash or to acquire or deliver the underlying interest. If the option is on a futures contract, the seller will acquire a position in a futures contract with associated liabilities for margin (see the section on Futures above). If the option is “covered” by the seller holding a corresponding position in the underlying interest or a futures contract or another option, the risk may be reduced. If the option is not covered, the risk of loss can be unlimited.

Certain exchanges in some jurisdictions permit deferred payment of the option premium, exposing the purchaser to liability for margin payments not exceeding the amount of the premium. The purchaser is still subject to the risk of losing the premium and transaction costs. When the option is exercised or expires, the purchaser is responsible for any unpaid premium outstanding at that time.

2. Terms and conditions of contracts

You should ask the firm with which you deal about the terms and conditions of the specific futures or options which you are trading and associated obligations (e.g. the circumstances under which you may become obliged to make or take delivery of the underlying interest of a futures contract and, in respect of options, expiration dates and restrictions on the time for exercise). Under certain circumstances the specifications of outstanding contracts (including the exercise price of an option) may be modified by the exchange or clearing house to reflect changes in the underlying interest.

3. Suspension or restriction of trading and pricing relationships

Market conditions (e.g. illiquidity) and/or the operation of the rules of certain markets (e.g. the suspension of trading in any contract or contract month because of price limits or “circuit breakers”) may increase the risk of loss by making it difficult or impossible to effect transactions or liquidate/offset positions. If you have sold options, this may increase the risk of loss.

Further, normal pricing relationships between the underlying interest and the futures, and the underlying interest and the option may not exist. This can occur when, for example, the futures contract underlying the option is subject to price limits while the option is not. The absence of an underlying reference price may make it difficult to judge “fair value”.

4. Deposited cash and property

You should familiarize yourself with the protections given to money or other property you deposit for domestic and foreign transactions, particularly in the event of a firm insolvency or bankruptcy. The extent to which you may recover your money or property may be governed by specific legislation or local rules. In some jurisdictions, property which had been specifically identifiable as your own will be pro-rated in the same manner as cash for purposes of distribution in the event of a shortfall.

5. Commission and other charges

Before you begin to trade, you should obtain a clear explanation of all commission, fees and other charges for which you will be liable. These charges will affect your net profit (if any) or increase your loss.

6. Transactions in other jurisdictions

7. Currency risks

8. Trading facilities

Electronic trading facilities are supported by computer-based component systems for the order-routing, execution, matching, registration or clearing of trades. As with all facilities and systems, they are vulnerable to temporary disruption or failure. Your ability to recover certain losses may be subject to limits on liability imposed by the system provider, the market, the clearing house and/or participant firms. Such limits may vary: you should ask the firm with which you deal for details in this respect.

9. Electronic trading

Trading on an electronic trading system may differ from trading on other electronic trading systems. If you undertake transactions on an electronic trading system, you will be exposed to risks associated with the system including the failure of hardware and software. The result of any system failure may be that your order is either not executed according to your instructions or is not executed at all.

10. Off-exchange transactions

In some jurisdictions, and only then in restricted circumstances, firms are permitted to effect off-exchange transactions. The firm with which you deal may be acting as your counterparty to the transaction. It may be difficult or impossible to liquidate an existing position, to assess the value, to determine a fair price or to assess the exposure to risk. For these reasons, these transactions may involve increased risks. Off-exchange transactions may be less regulated or subject to a separate regulatory regime. Before you undertake such transactions, you should familiarize yourself with applicable rules and attendant risks.

Nature of Rights Issue

A rights issue is a one-time offering of shares in a company to existing shareholders, allowing them an opportunity to maintain their proportional ownership without being diluted by buying additional new shares at a discounted price on a stated future date. Until the date at which the new shares can be purchased, investors may trade the rights to the market the same way they would trade ordinary shares. If the investors do not exercise their rights within the specified period, the rights will expire. If the investors do not intend to exercise their rights, they can sell them on the open market. Once exercised, the rights cannot be used again.

Risks associated with Rights Issue

1. It is easy to be enticed by shares offered at a discount, but you should not assume that you are getting a bargain. An informed decision should be made by looking at the rationale behind the fund-raising exercise.

2. A company may use a rights issue to cover debt, especially when they are unable to borrow money from other sources. You should be concerned with whether or not the management are addressing any underlying problems.

3. If you decide not to take up the rights your overall shareholding in the company will be diluted as a result of the increased number of shares in issue.

4. If you do not participate in the rights issue within the specified time-frame your nil-paid rights will lapse. The company will sell these entitlements and distribute any net proceeds after deduction of the offer price and costs. The amount of lapsed proceeds, if any, will not be known until the offer has closed. Lapsed proceeds are not guaranteed.

Investments and income arising from them can fall in value and you may get back less than you originally invested.

Risk of Trading Equity-linked Instrument (“ELI”)

Where you instruct the Company to use the Account for trading equity-linked instrument, you acknowledge that ELIs are not principal protected and you may suffer a loss if the price(s) of the reference asset(s) of an ELI go against your view. In extreme cases, you could lose your entire investment. The risk of loss may be substantial in certain circumstances and should not deal in them unless you understand the nature of the transactions entering and the extent of your exposure to risk. You should carefully consider whether the transactions are suitable in the light of your circumstances and financial position.

You understand that while most ELIs generally higher than the interest on an ordinary time deposit or traditional bonds, the potential gain on your ELI may be capped at a predetermined level specified by the issuer. During the investment period, you have no rights in the reference asset(s). Changes in the market prices of such reference asset(s) may not lead to a corresponding change in the market value and/or potential payout of the ELI.

You are fully aware that an investment in ELI exposes you to equity risk. You are exposed to price movements in the underlying security and the stock market, the impact of dividends and corporate actions and counterparty risks. You accept the legal obligation to take the underlying instrument at the pre-agreed conversion price instead of receiving the principal of the ELI, if the price of the underlying instrument falls below the conversion price. You will therefore receive an instrument that has fallen in value to the extent that it is less than your original investment and might even lose the entire principal or deposit if the underlying instrument become worthless. ELIs are not secured on any assets or collateral.

You are fully aware that when you purchase an ELI, you rely on the credit-worthiness of the issuer. In case of default or insolvency of the issuer, you will have to rely on your distributor to act on your behalf to claim as an unsecured creditor of the issuer regardless of the performance of the reference asset(s). Issuers may provide limited market making arrangement for their ELIs. However, if you try to terminate an ELI before maturity under the market making arrangement provided by the issuer, you may receive an amount which is substantially less than your original investment amount. Equity-linked instrument may be “nontransferable”, and it may be impossible for you to close out or liquidate them. Issuer of an ELI may also play different roles, such as the arranger, the market agent and the calculation agent of the ELI. Conflicts of interest may arise from the different roles played by the issuer, its subsidiaries and affiliates in connection with the ELI.

Investors should note that any dividend payment on the underlying security may affect its price and the payback of the ELI at expiry due to ex-dividend pricing. Investors should also note that issuers may adjust the ELI due to corporate actions on the underlying security.

Potential yield Investors should consult their brokers on fees and charges related to the purchase and sale of ELI and payment / delivery at expiry. The potential yields disseminated by HKEx have not taken fees and charges into consideration.

Risks Involved in Trading Derivative Warrants (“DW”)

1. Issuer risk

Warrants are not asset backed. If a warrant issuer becomes insolvent and defaults on its warrants, derivative warrant holders are unsecured creditors of an issuer and they have no preferential claim to any assets an issuer may hold. Therefore, investors are exposed to the credit and other risks in relation to the issuer.

2. Gearing risk

Although derivative warrants may cost a fraction of the price of the underlying assets, a derivative warrant may change in value to a much greater extent than the underlying asset. Gearing effect can work in reverse. A small change in the price of the underlying asset can lead to a substantial decline in the warrant price. In the worst case, the value of the derivative warrants may fall to zero and holders may lose their entire investment amount.

3. Limited Life

Unlike stocks, derivative warrants have an expiry date and therefore a limited life. Unless the derivative warrants are in-the-money, they become worthless at expiration. Deeply out-of-the-money warrants are less sensitive to movements in the price of the underlying asset because such warrants are unlikely to become in-the-money on expiry.

4. Time Decay

One should be aware that so long as other factors remain unchanged the value of derivative warrants will decrease over time. Therefore, derivative warrants should never be viewed as products that are bought and held as long-term investments.

5. Volatility

Other factors being equal an increase in the volatility of the underlying asset should lead to a higher warrant price and a decrease in volatility lead to a lower derivative warrant price.

6. Market forces

In addition to the basic factors that determine the theoretical price of a derivative warrant, derivative warrant prices are also affected by all other prevailing market forces including the demand for and supply of the derivative warrants. This is particularly so when a derivative warrant issue is almost sold out and when issuers make further issues of an existing derivative warrant.

7. Liquidity risk

Although derivative warrants have liquidity providers, there is no guarantee that investors will be able to buy / sell derivative warrants at their target prices any time they wish.

8. Turnover

High turnover should not be regarded as an indication that a derivative warrant’s price will go up. The price of a derivative warrant is affected by several factors in addition to market forces, such as the price of the underlying assets and its volatility, the time remaining to expiry, interest rates and the expected dividend on the underlying assets.

Risks Involved in trading Callable Bull/Bear Contracts (“CBBC”)

1. Mandatory call

CBBC are not suitable for all investors and investors should consider their risk appetite prior to trading. A CBBC may be called by the issuer and cease trading when the price of the underlying asset hits the Call Price. Payoff for Category N CBBC will be zero when they expire early. When Category R CBBC expire early the holder may receive a small amount of Residual Value payment, but there may be no Residual Value payment in adverse situations. Once the CBBC is called, even though the underlying asset may bounce back in the right direction, the CBBC which has been called will not be revived and investors will not be able to profit from the bounce-back.

2. Gearing effects

Since a CBBC is a leveraged product, the percentage change in the price of a CBBC is greater compared with that of the underlying asset. When the underlying asset price is closer to the CBBC Call Price, the risk for the CBBC being called is higher. Theoretically, the CBBC gearing ratio will be higher, reflecting the risk of being called. Investors may suffer higher losses in percentage terms if they expect the price of the underlying asset to move one way but it moves in the opposite direction.

3. Limited Life

A CBBC has a limited lifespan as denoted by the fixed expiry date. The life of a CBBC may be shorter if called before the fixed expiry date. The price of a CBBC fluctuates with the changes in the price of the underlying asset from time to time and may become worthless after expiry and in certain cases, even before the normal expiry if the CBBC has been called early.

4. Movement with underlying asset

The price changes of a CBBC tends to follow closely the price changes of its underlying asset, but in some situations it may not. Prices of CBBC are affected by several factors, including its own demand and supply, funding costs and time to expiry. The delta for a particular CBBC may not always be close to one, especially when the price of the underlying asset is close to the Call Price.

5. Liquidity

Although CBBC have liquidity providers, there is no guarantee that investors will be able to buy/sell CBBC at their target prices any time they wish.

6. Funding costs

The issue price of a CBBC includes funding costs charged upfront for the entire period from launch to normal expiry. Funding costs are gradually reduced over time as the CBBC moves towards expiry. The longer the duration of the CBBC, the higher the total funding costs. When a CBBC is called, the CBBC holders (investors) will lose the funding cost for the remaining period even though the actual period of funding for the CBBC turns out to be shorter. Investors should also note that the funding costs of a CBBC after launch may vary during its life.

7. Trading of CBBC close to Call Price

When the underlying asset is trading close to the Call Price, the price of a CBBC may be more volatile with wider spreads and uncertain liquidity. CBBC may be called at any time and trading will terminate as a result. However, the trade inputted by the investor may still be executed and confirmed by the investors after the Mandatory Call Event (MCE) since there may be some time lapse between MCE and suspension of the CBBC trading. Any trades executed after the MCE will not be recognized and will be cancelled. Therefore, investors should be aware of the risk and ought to apply special caution when the CBBC is trading close to the Call Price.

8. Overseas Underlying Assets

CBBC issued on overseas underlying assets may be called outside the Exchange’s trading hours. Besides, Investors trading CBBC with overseas underlying assets are exposed to an exchange rate risk as the price and cash settlement amount of the CBBC are converted from a foreign currency into Hong Kong dollars.

Specific Risk of Trading Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”)

1. Market risk: ETFs are typically designed to track the performance of certain indices, market sectors, or groups of assets such as stocks, bonds, or commodities. ETF managers may use different strategies to achieve this goal, but in general they do not have the discretion to take defensive positions in declining markets. Investors must be prepared to bear the risk of loss and volatility associated with the underlying index/assets.

2. Tracking errors: Tracking errors refer to the disparity in performance between an ETF and its underlying index/assets. Tracking errors can arise due to factors such as the impact of transaction fees and expenses incurred to the ETF, changes in composition of the underlying index/assets, and the ETF manager’s replication strategy. (The common replication strategies include full replication/representative sampling and synthetic replication.)

3. Trading at discount or premium: An ETF may be traded at a discount or premium to its Net Asset Value (NAV). This price discrepancy is caused by supply and demand factors and may be particularly likely to emerge during periods of high market volatility and uncertainty. This phenomenon may also be observed for ETFs tracking specific markets or sectors that are subject to direct investment restrictions.

4. Foreign exchange risk: Investors trading ETFs with underlying assets not denominated in Hong Kong dollars are also exposed to exchange rate risk. Currency rate fluctuations can adversely affect the underlying asset value, also affecting the ETF price.

5. Liquidity risk: Securities Market Makers (SMMs) are Exchange Participants that provide liquidity to facilitate trading in ETFs. Although most ETFs are supported by one or more SMMs, there is no assurance that active trading will be maintained. If the SMMs default or cease to fulfill their role, investors may not be able to buy or sell the product.

Specific risks involved in futures-based ETFs

1. Risk of rolling futures contracts:

Futures contracts are binding agreements that are made through futures exchanges to buy or sell the underlying assets at a specified time in the future. “Rollover” occurs when an existing futures contract is about to expire and is replaced with another futures contract representing the same underlying but with a later expiration date. When rolling futures contracts forward (i.e. selling near-term futures contracts and then buying longer-term futures contracts) in a situation where the prices of the longer-term futures contract are higher than that of the expiring current-month futures contract, a loss from rolling (i.e. a negative roll yield) may occur. Under such circumstances, the proceeds from selling the near-term futures contracts will not be sufficient to purchase the same number of futures contracts with a later expiration date which has a higher price. This may adversely affect the NAV of the futures-based ETF.

2. Risk of statutory restrictions on number of futures contracts being held:

There is a statutory position limit restricting the holding of futures contracts traded on the recognized exchange company to no more than a specific number of such futures contracts. If the holding of such futures contracts of a futures-based ETF grows to the limit, this may prevent the creation of units of the ETF due to the inability to acquire further futures contracts. This may lead to differences between the trading price and the NAV of the ETF units listed on the exchange.

Risk of Trading Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)

ETN is a type of unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by an underwriting bank, designed to provide investors access to the returns of various market benchmarks. The returns of ETNs are usually linked to the performance of a market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. Similar to other debt securities, ETNs have a maturity date and are backed only by the credit of the issuer.

You can buy and sell the ETNs on the exchange or receive a cash payment at the scheduled maturity or may early redeem the ETNs directly with the issuer based on the performance of the underlying index less applicable fees, with redemption restrictions, such as the minimum number of ETNs for early redemption, may apply.

There is no guarantee that investors will receive at maturity, or upon an earlier repurchase, investors’ initial investment back or any return on that investment. Significant adverse monthly performances for investors’ ETNs may not be offset by any beneficial monthly performances. The issuer of ETNs may have the right to redeem the ETNs at the repurchase value at any time. If at any time the repurchase value of the ETNs is zero, investors’ investment will expire worthless. ETNs may not be liquid and there is no guarantee that you will be able to liquidate your position whenever you wish.

Although both ETFs and ETNs are linked to the return of a benchmark index, ETNs as debt securities do not actually own any assets they are tracking, but just a promise from the issuer to pay investors the theoretical allocation of the return reflected in the benchmark index. It provides limited portfolio diversification with concentrated exposure to a specific index and the index components. If the ETN issuer defaults, the potential maximum loss could be 100% of the investment amount and no return may be received, given ETN is considered as an unsecured debt instrument.

The value of the ETN may drop despite no change in the underlying index, instead due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating. Therefore, by buying ETNs, investors get direct exposure to the credit risk of the issuer and would only have an unsecured bankruptcy claim if the issuer declares bankruptcy. The principal amount is subject to the periodic application of investor fees or any applicable fees that can adversely affect returns. Where you trade ETNs with underlying assets not denominated in local currencies investors are also exposed to exchange rate risk. Currency rate fluctuations can adversely affect the underlying asset value, also affecting the ETN price.

Investors may have leveraged exposure to the underlying index, depending on the product feature. The value of ETNs can change rapidly according to the gearing ratio relative to the underlying assets. You should be aware that the value of an ETN may fall to zero resulting in a total loss of the initial investment.

Leveraged & Inverse (“L&I”) Products Key risks

1. Investment risk:

Trading L&I Products involves investment risk and are not intended for all investors. There is no guarantee of repaying the principal amount.

2. Volatility risk:

Prices of L&I Products may be more volatile than conventional exchange traded funds (ETFs) because of using leverage and the rebalancing activities.

3. Unlike conventional ETFs:

L&I Products are different from conventional ETFs. They do not share the same characteristics and risks as conventional ETFs.

4. Long-term holding risk:

L&I Products are not intended for holding longer than the rebalancing interval, typically one day. Daily rebalancing and the compounding effect will make the L&I Product’s performance over a period longer than one day deviate in amount and possibly direction from the leveraged/inverse performance of the underlying index over the same period. The deviation becomes more pronounced in a volatile market.

As a result of daily rebalancing, the underlying index’s volatility and the effects of compounding of each day’s return over time, it is possible that the leveraged product will lose money over time while the underlying index increases or is flat. Likewise, it is possible that the inverse product will lose money over time while the underlying index decreases or is flat.

5. Risk of rebalancing activities:

There is no assurance that L&I Products can rebalance their portfolios daily to achieve their investment objectives. Market disruption, regulatory restrictions or extreme market volatility may adversely affect the rebalancing activities.

6. Liquidity risk:

Rebalancing typically takes place near the end of a trading day (shortly before the close of the underlying market) to minimize tracking difference. The short interval of rebalancing may expose L&I Products more to market volatility and higher liquidity risk.

7. Intraday investment risk:

Leverage factor of L&I Products may change during a trading day when the market moves but it will not be rebalanced until day end. The L&I Product’s return during a trading day may be greater or less than the leveraged/opposite return of the underlying index.

8. Portfolio turnover risk:

Daily rebalancing causes a higher levels of portfolio transaction when compared to conventional ETFs, and thus increases brokerage and other transaction costs.

9. Correlation risk:

Fees, expenses, transactions cost as well as costs of using financial derivatives may reduce the correlation between the performance of the L&I Product and the leveraged/inverse performance of the underlying index daily.

10. Termination risk:

L&I Products must be terminated when all the market makers resign. Termination of the L&I Product should take place at about the same time when the resignation of the last market maker becomes effective.

11. Leverage risk (for leveraged products only):

The use of leverage will magnify both gains and losses of leveraged products resulting from changes in the underlying index or, where the underlying index is denominated in a currency other than the leveraged product’s base currency, from fluctuations in exchange rates.

12. Unconventional return pattern (for inverse products only):

Inverse products aim to deliver the opposite of the daily return of the underlying index. If the value of the underlying index increases for extended periods, or where the exchange rate of the underlying index denominated in a currency other than the inverse product’s base currency rises for an extended period, inverse products can lose most or all their value.

13. Inverse products vs short selling (for inverse products only):

Investing in inverse products is different from taking a short position. Because of rebalancing, the performance of inverse products may deviate from a short position in a volatile market with frequent directional swings.

Risk of trading in leveraged foreign exchange contracts

The risk of loss in leveraged foreign exchange trading can be substantial. You may sustain losses in excess of your initial margin funds. Placing contingent orders, such as “stop-loss” or “stop-limit” orders, will not necessarily limit losses to the intended amounts.

Market conditions may make it impossible to execute such orders. You may be called upon at short notice to deposit additional margin funds. If the required funds are not provided within the prescribed time, your position may be liquidated. You will remain liable for any resulting deficit in your account. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable considering your own financial position and investment objectives.

General Major Risks associated with Exchange-traded Derivative Products (including but not limited to the following)

1. Issuer default risk

If an exchange-traded derivative product issuer becomes insolvent and defaults on their issued products, investors will be considered as unsecured creditors and will have no preferential claims to any assets held by the issuer. Investors should therefore pay close attention to the financial strength and credit worthiness of exchange-traded derivative product issuers. Since exchange-traded derivative products are not asset backed, in the event of issuer bankruptcy, investor can lose their entire investment.

2. Gearing risk

Exchange-traded derivative products such as derivative warrants and callable bull/bear contracts are leveraged and can change in value rapidly according to the gearing ratio relative to the underlying assets. Investors should be aware that the value of an exchange-traded derivative product may fall to zero resulting in a total loss of the initial investment.

3. Limited Life

Most of the exchange-traded derivative product issuer has an expiry date after which the products may become worthless. Investors should be aware of the expiry time horizon and choose a product with an appropriate lifespan for their trading strategy.

4. Extraordinary price movements

The price of an exchange-traded derivative product may not match its theoretical price due to outside influences such as market supply and demand factors. As a result, actual traded prices can be higher or lower than the theoretical price.

Product Specific Risks

Risk relating to Collective Investment Schemes

Collective Investment Scheme may invest extensively (up to 100%) in financial derivative instruments, fixed income securities and/or structured products (including, but not limited to credit default swaps, sub-investment grade debt, mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities) and be subject to various risks (including but not limited to counterparty risk, liquidity risk, credit risk and market risk). Collective Investment Scheme may use trading strategies that use financial derivative instruments which may be unsuccessful due to several reasons; including, but not limited to volatile market conditions, imperfect correlation between the movements in securities on which derivatives are based, lack of liquidity within markets and counterparty default risk.

Risk relating to Securities denominated in Renminbi (RMB)

RMB is not freely convertible. Conversion between RMB and foreign currencies (including Hong Kong dollar) is subject to PRC regulatory restrictions which may affect the liquidity of the RMB denominated securities.

As RMB denominated securities may have regular trading or an active market. Therefore, you may not be able to sell your investment on a timely basis, or you may have to sell the product at a deep discount to its value.

The Hong Kong dollar value of your investment will go down if the RMB depreciates against the Hong Kong dollar.

Risk relating to Trading in US Exchange-listed or Over-the-counter (OTC) Securities or Derivatives

You should understand the US rules applicable to trades in security or security-like instrument in markets governed by US law before undertaking any such trading. US law could apply to trading in US markets irrespective of the law applicable in your home jurisdiction.

Many (but by no means all) stocks, bonds and options are listed and traded on US stock exchanges. NASDAQ, which used to be an OTC market among dealers, has now also become a US exchange. For exchange-listed stocks, bonds and options, each exchange promulgates rules that supplement the rules of the US Securities & Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the protection of individuals and institutions trading in the securities listed on the exchange.

OTC trading among dealers can continue in exchange-listed instruments and in instruments that are not exchange-listed at all. For securities that are not listed on any exchange, trading can continue through the OTC bulletin board or through the inter-dealer “pink sheets” that carry representative (not actual) dealer quotes. These facilities are outside of NASDAQ.

Options on securities are subject to SEC rules and the rules of any securities exchange on which the options are listed. Options on futures contracts on commodities like wheat or gold are governed by rules of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). There are also commercial options, like options on real estate, that are governed neither by SEC nor CFTC rules.

Whether you are intending to trade in US exchange-listed securities, OTC securities or derivatives (such as Options or Futures), you should understand the rules that govern the market in which you are intending trade. An investment in any of these instruments tends to increase the risk and the nature of markets in derivatives tends to increase the risk even further.

Market makers of OTC bulletin board are unable to use electronic means to interact with other dealers to execute trades. They must manually interact with the market, i.e. use standard phone lines to communicate with other dealers to execute trades. This may cause delays in the time it takes to interact with the market place. This, if coupled with increase in trade volume, may lead to wide price fluctuation in OTC bulletin board securities as well as lengthy delays in execution time. You should exercise extreme caution when placing market orders and fully understand the risks associated with trading in OTC bulletin board.

Market data such as quotes, volume and market size may or may not be as up-to-date as expected with NASDAQ or listed securities.

As there may be far fewer market makers participating in OTC securities markets, the liquidity in that security may be significantly less than those in listed markets. As such, you may receive a partial execution, or the order may not be executed at all. Additionally, the price received on a market order may be significantly different from the price quoted at the time of order entry. When fewer shares of a given security are being traded, larger spreads between bid and ask prices and volatile swings in price may result. In some cases, the liquidation of a position in an OTC security may not be possible within a reasonable period of time.

Issuers of OTC securities have no duty to provide any information to investors, maintain registration with the SEC or provide regular reports to investors.

Default Risks & Counterparty Risks

Every investment product contains default risks and/or counterparty risks. Default risk could come from the issuer’s failure to make payments as agreed. At time of market downturn, an issuer may default due to their inability to raise new debt to roll over or repay an old one. Credit ratings are the most common tools used for assessing bond default risk. A rating represents the opinion of the rating agency at a particular point of time and may change over time, due to either changes in the financial status of the issuers or changes in market conditions.

Counterparty risk refers to the failure of the trading party in fulfilling their financial contractual obligations. While ratings by credit agencies represented quality assurances, investors should not only reference to the credit ratings of the product issuers, but also seek full understanding of the product structure and its exposure to the financial derivatives in order to avoid financial loss.

Local Stock/SBL/Teletext/Share Builder Plans

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

If you undertake transactions via electronic trading facilities, you will be exposed to risks associated with the system including the failure of hardware and software, and your order may not be executed according to your instructions.

Risks of Securities Trading

The prices of securities may fluctuate dramatically and become valueless. Losses may be incurred as a result of buying and selling securities.

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Trading of derivatives involves high risks and is not suitable for every investor. The prices of derivatives may fall as rapidly as they may rise, and you may suffer total or excessive loss of your investment amount.

Risks of Margin Trading

The risk of loss in financing a transaction by deposit of collateral is significant. You may be called upon at short notice to deposit additional margin funds. In extreme market conditions we may be unable to contact you or provide you with sufficient time to make the required deposits and forced liquidation may be necessary.

Securities trading without change of beneficiary, price rigging and market manipulation can be treated as market misconduct which is an offence under the Securities and Futures Ordinance.

Important Notes and Specific Risks of trading via Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect

The following describes some of the risks and other significant aspects of trading the Shanghai Stock Exchange (“SSE”) securities and/or Shenzhen Stock Exchange (“SZSE”) via Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect (“China Connect”) and/or Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock. Considering the risks, you should undertake such transactions only if you understand the nature of China Connect trading and the extent of your exposure to risk. You should carefully consider (and consult your own advisers where necessary) whether trading is appropriate for you considering your experience, objectives, financial resources and other relevant circumstances.

You must observe relevant laws and regulations of Mainland China and Hong Kong as well as the rules of the exchanges. You must accept and agree the aforesaid and the risks related to China Connect, including but not limited to being liable or responsible for breaching the SSE Listing Rules, SSE Rules, SZSE Listing Rules, SZSE Rules and other applicable laws and regulations before giving instructions. Detailed information on trading via China Connect can be referred to on HKEX or the Company website.

No day trading is allowed

You are not allowed to carry out day trading through China Connect. A share bought on trade day (T-day) can only be sold on or after T+1 day.

OTC trading is not permitted

All trading must be conducted on SSE and or SZSE, i.e. no over-the-counter (OTC) or manual trades are allowed.

Must have shares in Company’s CCASS account before the market opens

You must have your shares transferred to the Company’s corresponding CCASS account before the commencement of trading on a trading day if you intend to sell the shares during a trading day.

Stock and money settlement arrangement

For SSE and SZSE shares trading, stock settlement will be conducted on T-day, while money (including the transaction amount as well as the related fees and levies) will settle on T+1 day. You should ensure you have sufficient RMB in your account for settlement.

Company’s right to cancel your orders in case of contingency

The Company shall have the right to cancel your orders without prior notice in case of contingency such as hoisting of Typhoon Signal No 8 or any other incident beyond the control of the Company which may affect order placing or settlement of the transaction. You acknowledge that the Company may be requested by the SEHK, SSE, SZSE or any other China Connect Authority to reject orders from you.

Quota restrictions

Purchases of SSE and or SZSE securities through China Connect are subject to certain daily quota controls. As a result, there is no assurance that a buy order can be successfully placed through China Connect.

Difference in trading day and trading hours

China Connect allows trading only on the days when both Hong Kong and the respective Mainland Chinese markets are open for trading, and banking service are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. You should also note that A shares trading will follow the trading hours of the Exchange where it is listed.

Foreign shareholding restriction

Under Mainland China laws, there is a limit to how many shares a single foreign investor is permitted to hold in a single Mainland China listed company. The Company has the right to force-sell your shares upon receiving a forced-sale notification from SEHK. Accordingly, you should ensure you fully understand the Mainland rules and regulations in relation to shareholding restrictions and disclosure obligations and follow such rules and regulations.

Short Swing Profit Rule

Under Mainland China laws, the “short swing profit rule” requires investors to return any profits made from purchases and sales in respect of China Connect securities of a Mainland China listed company if (a) your shareholding in the Mainland China listed company exceeds the threshold prescribed by the relevant China Connect authority from time to time and (b) the corresponding sale transaction occurs within the six months after a purchase transaction, or vice versa.

Not protected by Investor Compensation Fund

You should note that both SSE and SZSE trading under China Connect will not be covered by Hong Kong’s Investor Compensation Fund. As Hong Kong investors are not carrying out SSE and/or SZSE trading through Mainland brokers, they are not protected by China Securities Investor Protection Fund on the Mainland.

Warnings

SSE and/or SZSE may request SEHK to require the Company to issue warning statements (verbally or in writing) to clients, and not to extend SSE and/or SZSE trading service to certain clients.

Liability

SEHK, SEHK parent companies and subsidiaries, SSE, SSE subsidiary, SZSE and SZSE subsidiary and their respective directors, employees and agents shall not be responsible or held liable for any loss or damage directly or indirectly suffered by the Company, its clients or any third parties arising from or in connection with SSE and/or SZSE trading or the CSC.

Global Securities

Important Notes

1. Stock price quotes may be delayed.

2. Some overseas stock exchanges operate with a market maker system, which may not be able to confirm the order execution until the market opens on the following trading day.

3. US persons and Canadian residents are not allowed to trade US and Canadian securities respectively.

4. Please take care when placing orders as market misconduct such as market manipulation and false trading are serious offences. Any error trades should be reported ASAP.

5. Information contained herein is based on sources that are believed to be accurate. PSHK does not bear responsibility for any loss occasioned by reliance placed upon the contents hereof.

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Securities Trading

The prices of securities may fluctuate dramatically and become valueless. Losses may be incurred as a result of buying and selling securities.

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading

Risks Relating to Restriction on Foreign Ownership of Japanese Stocks

Japanese laws impose restrictions on foreign ownership of Japanese stocks in some industries (e.g. aviation, broadcasting, and telecommunications). Foreign investors may be permitted to acquire shares beyond stipulated limits, but would be denied registration as shareholders, and consequently may not have the right to vote and receive dividends.

Stock Options

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Futures and Options Trading

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading

Initial Public Offerings (IPO)

IPO Terms and Conditions

1. Submission of application(s) does not represent that the application(s) is/are valid or successful. The Company, the listing company or the Underwriters’ Representatives, or their respective agents have absolute discretion and reserves all rights to reject any application without obligation to provide any reason(s).

2. Applicants eligible to apply for Hong Kong offered shares (“Shares”)
You can apply for Shares available for subscription if you or any person(s) for whose benefit you are applying, are an individual, and:

I. are 18 years of age or older;

II. have a Hong Kong address;

III. are not a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S);

IV. are outside the United States; and

V. are not a legal or natural person (except qualified domestic institutional investors) in the PRC.

3. The number of joint applicants must not exceed four.

4. The Shares are not available to existing beneficial owners of the Shares, or the chief executives, directors or supervisors of the listing company or any of its subsidiaries, or their respective associates (as defined in the Hong Kong Listing Rules) or any other connected persons (as defined in the Hong Kong Listing Rules) of the listing company or its subsidiaries, or a person who will become a connected person of the listing company immediately upon completion of the Global Offering.

5. You may apply for Shares under the Hong Kong public offering or indicate an interest in Shares under the international offering but may not do both.

6. If you decide to apply for Shares through this platform, please DO NOT apply through other channels. If you do so, it will constitute multiple applications, and ALL multiple or suspected multiple applications will be rejected.

7. By using this service, you are agreeing to all terms and conditions set out above.

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of IPO Subscription

Before making any investment decision, you should read the prospectus for detailed information about the company and the proposed offering before deciding whether or not to invest in the securities concerned.

Submission of an application through this channel does not entitle you to any advantage in the share allocation process, and, it does not automatically make the application a valid or a successful application. The Company, the listing company or the Underwriters’ Representatives, or their respective agents have full discretion to reject or accept any application, in full or in part, without assigning any reason.

Risks of securities trading

The prices of securities may fluctuate dramatically and become valueless. Losses may be incurred as a result of buying and selling securities.

Disclaimer

The Company takes no responsibility for the contents of this website, makes no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of this website.

Local Futures

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Futures and Options Trading

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or options is substantial. You may sustain losses in excess of your initial margin funds. Placing contingent orders, such as “stop-loss” or “stop-limit” orders, will not necessarily avoid loss. Market conditions may make it impossible to execute such orders. There is a possibility that any stop-loss order may be cancelled by a futures exchange due to various reasons including where orders are “out of price limits” during a fluctuating market. We will try our best to inform you as soon as possible but this CANNOT be guaranteed. You will be required to bear any loss as a result of such order cancellation.

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading

Foreign Futures & Options

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Futures and Options Trading

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading

Bullion and Precious Metal

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Bullion/Precious Metal Trading

Precious metal trading is not subject to the rules, regulations and supervisions of the regulators in Hong Kong, including the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited, and is classified as high-risk investment.

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading

Unit Trust

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risk of Trading Funds

Investment involves risks. The price of units or shares may go down as well as up and past performance is not indicative of future performance. Some funds may invest up to 100% of their net assets in structured products and derivatives and may also invest in non-investment grade debt securities. You should make sure you understand unit trusts before investing and consider whether such products are suitable for you considering your own financial position, investment experience and investment objectives.

The prices quoted are for reference only and are subject to change without notice.

Bond

Risk Disclosure

Key Product Risks

It is crucial to understand the specific forms and risks mentioned in the relevant offering documents (if applicable) before investing. Key risks include but are not limited to as stated on the next page:

1. Credit Risk

Investors assume credit risk of the Issuer and the Guarantor (if applicable). Any changes to the credit rating of them will affect the price and value of the bonds. Bonds are subject to the risk of the issuer defaulting on its obligations, i.e. An issuer fails to make principal and interest payments when due. The worst case such as bankruptcy of the Issuer/Guarantor will result in the loss of your entire investment. Credit ratings assigned by credit rating agencies do not guarantee the creditworthiness of the issuer.

2. Liquidity Risk

The bond may have limited liquidity and may not be actively traded and/or quoted by brokers in the market. As such,

I. The value of bond and/or indicative bid/offer price will depend on market liquidity and conditions and may not be available at all times;

II. It may take a longer time or impossible to sell the bond to the market; and;

III. The executable sale price may be unfavorably different by large amounts from the indicative bid price quoted.

3. Interest Rate Risk

Bonds are more susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates and generally prices of bonds will fall when interest rates rise.

4. Market Risk

The value of investments may fluctuate due to changing political, legal, economic conditions and change in interest rate. This is common to all markets and asset classes. Investor may get back an amount substantially less than initially invested.

5. Currency Risk

For bonds denominated in a foreign currency, there may be an exchange loss when converting the redemption amount back to the local or base currency.

For Product denominated in Renminbi (RMB) or with underlying assets that are denominated in RMB only

Conversion between RMB and foreign currencies, including Hong Kong dollar, subject to PRC regulatory restrictions – RMB is currently not freely convertible and conversion of RMB through banks in Hong Kong is subject to certain restrictions. The PRC government regulates conversation between RMB and foreign currency both in Hong Kong SAR and mainland China, which as a result may affect the liquidity.

High-yield Bonds Risks

In addition to the generic risks listed above, high-yield bonds are subject to risks such as:

1. Higher Credit Risk

Since they are typically rated below investment grade or are unrated and as such are often subject to a higher risk of issuer default;

2. Vulnerability to Economic Cycles

During economic downturns such bonds typically fall more in value than investment grade bonds as (i) investors become more risk averse and (ii) default risk rises.

Some bonds may contain special features and risks that warrant special attention. These include bonds:

1. Risk associated with perpetual debentures

Perpetual debenture does not have a maturity date, and the coupon payments pay-out depends on the viability of the issuer in the very long term, it may be deferred or even suspended subject to the terms and conditions of the issue. Furthermore, perpetual debentures are often callable and/or subordinated, and bear reinvestment risk and/or subordinated bond risk.

2. Re-investment Risk of Callable Bond

If the bond is callable in which the issuer may redeem the bond before maturity, it is subject to reinvestment risk. The yield received when re-investing the proceeds may be less favorable.

3. Risk associated with subordinated debentures

Holders of subordinated debentures will bear higher risks than holders of senior debentures of the issuer due to a lower priority of claim in event of the Issuer’s liquidation. Subordinated debentures are unsecured and have lesser priority than that of an additional debt claim of the same asset. They usually have a lower credit rating than senior bonds. Investor’s specific attention is drawn to the credit information of this product, including the respective credit rating of the Issuer, the debenture and/or the guarantor, as the case may be.

4. Risk associated with variable coupon/ coupon deferral features

If the bonds contain variable and/or deferral of interest payment terms and investors would face uncertainty over the amount and time of the interest payments to be received.

5. Risk associated with extendable maturity date

If the bonds contain extendable maturity dates terms and investors would not have a definite schedule of principal repayment.

6. Risk associated with convertible or exchangeable debentures

They are convertible or exchangeable in nature and investors are subject to both equity and bond investment risk; and/or that have contingent write-down or loss absorption feature and the bond may be written-off fully or partially or converted to common stock on the occurrence of a trigger event.

Forex

Risk Disclosures

Risks of using electronic trading services

Risks of Trading in Leveraged Foreign Exchange Contracts

The risk of loss in trading leveraged foreign exchange can be substantial. You may sustain losses in excess of your initial margin funds. Placing contingent orders, such as “stop-loss” or “stop-limit” orders, will not necessarily avoid loss. Market conditions may make it impossible to execute such orders.

Risks of Derivatives Trading

Risks of Margin Trading