The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong marked its 40th anniversary, celebrating a legacy of innovation and resilience since the merger of four exchanges. The chip boom has significantly powered its recent performance.

Stepping into the former trading hall in Exchange Square on Thursday was like walking through a doorway into the 1980s. Brokers, wearing the iconic red jackets of the period, stood alongside Cathay Pacific Airways flight attendants in retro uniforms, evoking memories of the hall before its closure. The special gong-striking ceremony in Central marked the 40th anniversary of the merger of Hong Kong’s four stock exchanges into the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK). Cathay was the first company to...