For the month ended 31 March 2026, Bank of East Asia reported an increase of 0.52 million ordinary shares, lifting the total issued share capital to 2.64 billion shares.
The additional shares were generated exclusively from the Staff Share Option Scheme 2021, under which 0.52 million options were exercised. The exercise raised HKD 5.40 million in new equity, implying an average exercise price of HKD 10.45 per share.
Post-transaction, outstanding options under the 2021 scheme stand at 48.91 million, while the earlier 2016 scheme remains unchanged at 12.45 million outstanding options. The 2021 scheme still allows for up to 27.04 million further shares to be issued.
The incremental 0.52 million shares represent roughly 0.02 % of the company’s share base as at end-February 2026, resulting in a closing share count of 2,642.19 million. No treasury shares were held or cancelled during the month, and the company confirmed compliance with the Hong Kong Exchange’s minimum 25 % public-float requirement.