China Plans Biggest Futures Market Overhaul Since 2015 Clampdown
- Foreigners would no longer need government quota to trade
- Authorities are also eyeing MSCI futures, volatility products
China is mulling the biggest changes to its futures market since 2015, an overhaul that would give global investors unprecedented access, make it easier to execute bearish trades, and lay the groundwork for wagers on stock-market volatility.
The proposed changes, still under discussion by regulators, would remove a ban on unhedged bets against the market and allow foreigners to trade equity-index and commodity futures without a government-approved quota, according to people familiar with the matter. The China Financial Futures Exchange is also considering a new range of products, including futures on the MSCI China A Index, the people said. The bourse plans to introduce an equity volatility index that may eventually serve as the basis for derivatives contracts.