STOCKS | Grant Thornton: Hong Kong Listed Firms' Sale Deals Fell 11% to 222 in 2024

Grant Thornton (Hong Kong) released its “Sale and Purchase Agreement Study Report 2026,” saying the number of sale and purchase agreements involving Hong Kong-listed companies fell 11% year on year to 222 in 2024, according to Ming Pao. Grant Thornton Hong Kong advisory managing partner Tang Biao attributed the decline to persistently high interest rates that raised operating costs and lowered valuations, geopolitical instability that reduced corporate risk appetite, and more cautious and stricter cross-border capital flows and regulation that lengthened transaction decision cycles. Grant Thornton Hong Kong advisory associate director Zhong Qiqi said that amid weak consumption and pressured profit margins, the consumer discretionary sector accounted for the largest share of disposals in listed-company transactions last year, representing 29% of total business disposal agreements, as companies restructured and divested non-core businesses.