News / Media

KraneShares KBA First ETF to Track MSCI China A 50 Connect Index in the US

New York, NY January 5, 2022 – Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, ("KraneShares”), an asset management firm known for its China-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and innovative investment strategies, announced that KBA now tracks the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index. KraneShares updated the Fund’s name to the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF (ticker: KBA) to reflect the change.

“KBA is the first MSCI-linked China A-Share ETF in the United States, and is now the first US-listed ETF to track the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index1. Since we launched KBA in 2014, we have evolved the Fund alongside MSCI based on the latest developments in the China A-share market,” said Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares. “We believe that we are reflecting the future of China A-share investing by tracking the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index for the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect ETF (Ticker: KBA).

On October 18, 2021, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (HKEX) launched Futures contracts based on the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index2. These Futures contracts, designed for offshore investors, represent the first officially recognized risk management tools for Stock Connect-eligible A-shares.

“We are pleased that KraneShares will utilize the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index, which is designed to provide a diversified measure across the Chinese economy,” said Christine Berg, Managing Director, Head of Americas Index Client Coverage at MSCI. “Using an innovative sector-neutral approach and based on the Stock Connect program, the Index mirrors the sector weight allocation of its parent index, the MSCI China A Index. It aims to enable investors seeking to track China’s sector leaders as it represents the performance of the 50 largest securities across all Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) sectors.”

“Through tracking the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index, KBA will focus on the largest most liquid stocks, which receive the majority of foreign interest and inflows3. Additionally, according to the Financial Times, three Mainland ETFs that track the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index saw over $4.5 billion inflows in November alone4,” said Brendan Ahern, Chief Investment Officer of KraneShares. “We believe the growing demand from domestic and international investors could provide a potential catalyst for KBA.”

Additional potential benefits of the MSCI China A 50 Connect Index include:

  • an expected reduction in tracking error and bid-ask spreads given that market makers can directly hedge exposure with Futures.
  • Greater investability from a more liquid basket of 50 names versus the nearly 500 tracked by the MSCI China A Index
  • Reduced create/redeem fee for Authorized participants that transact in ETF shares in large increments known as creation / redemption units

For more information on the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect ETF (Ticker: KBA), visit: https://kraneshares.com/kba

About KraneShares

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. Our suite of China-focused ETFs provides investors with solutions to capture China’s importance as an essential element of a well-designed investment portfolio. We strive to deliver innovative first-to-market strategies developed based on our strong partnerships and deep investing knowledge. We help investors stay current on global market trends and aim to provide meaningful diversification. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, is a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investing (UN PRI). The firm is majority-owned by China International Capital Corporation (CICC).

Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss.


1.) Data from Bloomberg as of 12/29/2021
2.) HKEX, “HKEX Launches MSCI China A 50 Connect Index Futures”, October 18, 2021.
3.) Liu Kevin “Understanding China’s post-pandemic new normal and long-term trends” CICC November 2021
4.) Steve Johnson, “Global investors pump money into Chinese equity ETFs”, Financial Times, December 19, 2021
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