MOVES-BNP Paribas hires 19 in renewed Asian stock-trading push

HONG KONG, Oct 15 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas has hired 19 executives from rival banks for its Asian equities division in the last three months, according to a senior executive, rebuilding a team that had lost at least seven members earlier this year. Former China International Capital Corp trader Christopher Jung has been brought in as managing director for the sales and trading division in Asia Pacific, Lee Cook, head of cash equity Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas, told Reuters in an interview. Jung is the most senior among the 19 hires, of whom eight are research analysts covering Asian stocks. The bank hopes to cash in on renewed interest in Chinese shares and a resurgent Japanese market. The hires form a mix of replacements for departed executives and for new roles, Cook said, and will increase his team's headcount by around 10 people. As the French bank also expands its electronic stock trading capabilities, Ken Leung from JPMorgan has been hired to lead product development for the platform. (Reporting By Lawrence White; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee)