Hong Kong’s retail banks posted 7.3 per cent pre-tax profit growth last year, as rising bad debts and a narrower net interest margin offset growing income from wealth-management services. The city’s 30 retail banks recorded lower growth in aggregated pre-tax profit than in 2024, when profits increased 8.4 per cent, according to data from the…
HSBC, Hong Kong’s largest bank with a 6.2 million-strong customer base, suffered a widespread system breakdown on Friday afternoon. According to some customers, the bank’s mobile app and online services were inactive as early as 1pm, with login attempts diverted to a screen stating the system was under maintenance and would be accessible at a…
For generations of Hong Kong investors, Hang Seng Bank was never just a stock. It was a companion through decades of economic ascent, market turbulence and personal milestones. This is why the bank’s delisting on Tuesday after 53 years on the exchange has stirred something deeper than a routine corporate transaction would. It feels like…
Hong Kong’s de facto central bank left its base rate unchanged after a similar move overnight by the US Federal Reserve, leaving borrowers in the city with a longer wait for funding costs to fall. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced its decision on Thursday morning to keep the city’s base rate at 4…
Hong Kong banks may not cut their prime rates this year, but local interbank rates will still follow US rates lower, benefiting a majority of borrowers, according to a senior executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Analysts widely expect the US Federal Reserve to cut its key rate by three-quarters of a point…
HSBC Holdings’ exploration of options for its insurance business in Singapore may lead to a sale of the unit as the group reallocates resources to its insurance business in Hong Kong and mainland China, according to analysts. “It makes sense for HSBC to consider an exit from Singapore’s insurance market to focus on Hong Kong…
Following the January 8 shareholder vote that overwhelmingly approved the largest privatisation deal in Hong Kong’s history, many questions remain about the future of Hang Seng Bank, its stakeholders and the broader financial landscape. For Hang Seng Bank’s shareholders, the immediate question is what to do with the HK$106.16 billion (US$13.6 billion) windfall from HSBC…
Hong Kong’s banking sector is set for a landmark transformation as thousands of Hang Seng Bank shareholders vote on HSBC Holdings’ bid to take the lender private on Thursday morning. Analysts expected an overwhelming approval for the proposal, which offers shareholders HK$155 a share – 30 per cent higher than Hang Seng Bank’s HK$119 closing…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…
The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary…