The Hong Kong bourse advanced 18% last year and continues to show positive momentum this year, with the HSI grossing a 20% upswing in the first half, surpassing 4,000 points, marking the largest first-half increase in history in terms of points, Financial Secretary Paul Chan remarked.Market trading has further increased, and the IPO market is more active, completing 42 initial public offerings (IPOs) in the first half, with a total fundraising amount topping HKD107 billion, around 22% more than the entire last year, temporarily ranking first globally.Related NewsGuotai Haitong Expects Southbound Capital Inflow to Exceed $1T This Yr w/ Clear Differences in Sectors Preferred by Different InstitutionsChan updated his blog, indicating that the market generally holds an optimistic view of the performance of Hong Kong stocks and the IPO market in the second half of the year. The number of IPO applications in Hong Kong is rapidly escalating, with about 200 applications received so far, doubling the number at the beginning of the year, including companies from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. During the recent rise in Hong Kong stocks, funds majorly favored technology stocks, immensely boosting trading in technology-related derivative products, Chan said. Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) linked to different types of assets are a convenient mode of product innovation, becoming a driving force supporting the liquidity of Hong Kong stocks in recent years.