Protests force Hong Kong’s small stock brokers out of business, with little chance of rescue by Chinese buyers

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The civil unrest that has shaken Hong Kong to its foundations is taking a toll on small stock brokerage firms, forcing them out of business in unprecedented numbers, data from the stock exchange suggests.

With market turnover slashed by almost a third, struggling brokers are finding they can no longer rely on their traditional rescuers – mainland Chinese buyers willing to pay a healthy premium to get a foothold in the local market.