HONG KONG, Feb 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's bourse operator on Thursday reported an 18% profit rise in 2023, bolstered by higher net investment income from its managed funds while trading and listing activities remain sluggish due to a weaker macro sentiment.

The profit attributable to shareholders of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) rose to HK$11.86 billion ($1.52 billion) last year from HK$10.08 billion in 2022, according to its earnings statement.

The profit, however, is smaller than a HK$12.05 billion average forecast from analysts compiled by LSEG.

($1 = 7.8272 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Selena Li; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee)