One of the world's largest securities markets by market capitalization, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange traces its origins to the founding of China's first formal securities market, the Association of Stockbrokers in Hong Kong, in 1891. A second market opened in 1921, and in 1947 the two merged to form the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Taobiz explains Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG) .HK It is one of the larger markets in Asia with around 1,200 listed companies as of 2008. The Exchange introduced automated ordering in 1993 and stock option trading in 1995. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange merged with the Hong Kong Futures Exchange and the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company in 2000 to form Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., a publicly traded company.