As a rights holder, what should I do if I still hold Hong Kong stock options after expiration? Analysis of Automatic Exercise Rules and Precautions?

BiyaPay
Published on 2025-06-19 Updated on 2025-06-19

According to the rules of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, if you still hold an in-the-money option contract on the expiry date of a Hong Kong stock option with an in-the-money margin of 1.5% or more, the contract will be automatically exercised by default.
If the contract does not meet the conditions for automatic exercise and you do not actively exercise the option before expiration, the contract will be automatically forfeited and the value will be reset to zero.
When exercising, you need to have sufficient assets in your account:

  • Call option: The exercise requires the payment of funds to buy the corresponding amount of the underlying stock;
  • Put option: To exercise the option, you need to deliver the underlying stock and sell the corresponding amount.

If the account assets are insufficient, the Platform may take the following measures:

  1. Temporarily lend funds or underlying stocks for you to complete the exercise (interest charges may be incurred);
  2. Forced liquidation before expiration, especially if you hold a put option but lack sufficient shares;
  3. Cancel the automatic exercise setting to avoid the expansion of risks.
    ✅ It is recommended that you:
    If you plan to hold a position expiration, please prepare sufficient funds or underlying securities in advance, or take the initiative to close the position to avoid additional costs or risks due to insufficient assets.