Stock connect to start in November

The long-awaited Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect is expected to start in mid-to late November, a move that makes it more likely that domestic stocks will be included in MSCI Inc's main benchmarks, according to China's securities regulator.

Technical preparations for the stock connect will take place from August to November, with the program scheduled to begin in mid-to late November, said Qi Bin, director of the international cooperation department at the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which allows mainland investors to buy Hong Kong stocks and vice versa, had been expected for more than a year following a similar program between Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2014.