On HKEX, stocks trade via the auto-matching system in units of board lots that are determined by the issuer. Securities trading for a quantity less than one board lot or a fractional multiple of whole board lots are considered odd lots. Only securities trading in multiples of board lots are eligible to be routed to the HKEX automatic order matching engine. Odd lots can only route to a special-order book at HKEX which requires manual order matching. The odd lot book does not follow price or time priority and executions cannot be guaranteed.

How to close out and execute an odd lot?

Odd lots can be entered via the IBKR platform, where they will be routed to the odd lot book at HKEX. If you place an odd lot order greater than a board lot, your order will be rejected. IBKR also offers the ability to call in to our trade desk to close an odd lot position, but orders phoned in to our trade desk will incur a handling fee*.

Can I see the odd lot book?

No, IBKR does not have the ability to supply odd lot book quotations. We can only report executions.

Expected Execution/Market Price

Odd lot sell orders generally execute at prices below the prevailing main auto-matching market on HKEX. To increase the likelihood of a fill, you may consider placing an order several spreads lower than the last price traded on the main board.

Market Orders

Due to the lack of liquidity, IBKR converts any odd lot market orders to limit orders at a price that is through the board lot market with a maximum of (3% or 5 minimum ticks), but no more than 9 ticks from the prevailing bid on the main board auto-matching engine. We will not update the price unless the main board bid trades move through your offer. If that should occur, we will (on a best-efforts basis) update your price a further 3% or 5 minimum ticks lower. For example, assume the main board bid/ask is 4.03 at 4.04, last 4.03. If you send a market order, we will create an order to sell at 3.91 (3%), but it will be capped and adjusted to 3.98 (5 ticks). Should the security trade through to 3.98, we will endeavor to lower your bid another 5 ticks to 3.93.

Price Restrictions

While orders are expected to trade lower than the prevailing market price, both limit orders and market orders we convert to limit orders that are greater than 9 ticks from the market price will be capped to those levels.

Fees

Execution and transaction fees are the same as of trading a board lot*.

* For more information, visit our website.