Haitong International included in FTSE4Good Index Series

HONG KONG, Feb. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Haitong International Securities Group Limited ("Haitong International" or "The Group"; Stock Code: 665.HK) announced today that the Group has been included in the FTSE4Good Index by global index provider FTSE Russell, which is owned by the London Stock Exchange. Being a constituent of the index signifies that Haitong International's outstanding performance in various ESG aspects is well recognized by investors and the wider global finance sector. 

The FTSE4Good Index Series is one of the world's first global ESG index families which includes more than 15 benchmarks to measure and assess the ESG performance of companies. The series uses objective methodology to select outstanding ESG companies as constituents of its indexes, and is widely used by global investors and other market participants as an ESG benchmark and investment tool.

In the latest assessment of Haitong International's corporate governance, FTSE Russell conducted a comprehensive review on the Group's performance and gave a score based on three areas, namely Risk Management, Corporate Governance and Anti-Corruption. The scores 4/5, 4/5 and 5/5 were given to the respective areas, with an average score of 4.3/5, ranking the Group in the top five in the governance category in the global financial industry.

Haitong International is committed to maintaining a high standard of corporate governance practices and improving its ESG governance structure. The Group has published independent ESG reports for five consecutive years and volunteered to disclose quarterly results since the first quarter of 2021, in order to enhance corporate governance and disclosure, while allowing for more transparent communications with corporate stakeholders, investors and the public. In 2020, the Group set up an ESG Committee under the Executive Committee to promote group wide ESG strategies, becoming one of the first Chinese-funded peers in Hong Kong to establish such a committee.

Risk management continues to be a top priority for Haitong International. Taking a "stable to prudent" risk appetite approach, the Group set up a multi-layered risk management structure. In 2021, the Group received reaffirmation of its BBB rating with a stable outlook from Standard and Poor's and Baa2 rating from Moody's, with major risk indicators maintained at the optimized level over the past five years.

In early 2021, MSCI upgraded Haitong International's ESG rating to 'A' for its outstanding performance in driving sustainable financing and overall ESG strategies implementation, propelling the Group to hold a leading position among global investment banks and securities houses.

About FTSE4Good Index Series

The FTSE4Good Index Series is the first globally recognized index series measuring the performance of companies demonstrating strong corporate responsibility practices. Transparent management and clearly-defined criteria make FTSE4Good indices suitable tools to be used by a wide variety of market participants when creating or assessing sustainable investment products. Qualified corporations must implement policies in various social responsibility aspects, including environmental management, climate change alleviation, anti-corruption, labor rights protection and labor standards in supply chains.