Hackers disrupt Hong Kong stock exchange

The Hong Kong stock exchange suspended trading in stocks Wednesday after hackers broke into its website which prevented investors from accessing company midday break announcements.

Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEx) cheif executive Charles Li said the hacking was localised and did not affect other systems at the exchange.

The company will revert back to a bulletin board system to distribute stock information if the systems remain affected, but trading will not be suspended, the exchange said.

"This trading suspension policy aims to give all investors sufficient time to understand the contingency arrangements and locate issuers’ announcements on their websites," the exchange said in a statement.

Cathay Pacific and HSBC Holdings were affected by the trading halt.

It did not provide further details on the hack.

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