Hong Kong’s six biggest lenders lowered their prime lending rates for a third time this year, trimming borrowing costs to the lowest level in more than two years. HSBC and subsidiary Hang Seng Bank said they would trim their prime rate by 12.5 basis points to 5.25 per cent from Friday, the lowest since August…
On Friday the Hong Kong government published its Stablecoins Bill in the Gazette, with plans for its first reading on December 18. The legislation covers fiat-referenced stablecoins. “We have undertaken extensive consultations and given due consideration to the views of the industry when formulating the details of the regulatory regime,” said Eddie Yue, CEO of…
China envisions Hong Kong’s capital markets as a beacon of prosperity, having lifted the city out of social chaos in June 2020. This week, Beijing backed that goal with vocal support at an investment summit attended by CEOs of global banks and money managers. Do global investors share the optimism? The question has never been…
China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng, the government’s top man on the financial industry, is scheduled to lead a delegation of senior bankers and officials to Hong Kong next week for the third annual conference of global financiers, according to sources familiar with the plans. He is expected to lead a contingent comprising the heads of China’s…
Hong Kong banks’ unexpected prime rate cut on Friday will lower funding costs and bring more buyers into the market, with analysts expecting home prices in the city to bottom out “in the short term”. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the city’s de facto central bank, lowered its base interest rate for the second…
The Exchange Fund reported one of its best quarterly returns as stock markets rallied in Hong Kong and the United States, as a diversified investment approach helped to swell the financial war chest for defending the city’s currency peg. The fund’s investment return more than doubled to HK$224.7 billion (US$28.8 billion) in the first nine…
Three luxury Hong Kong homes changed hands this week for between HK$49.4 million (US$6.36 million) and HK$114 million, an indication that well-heeled buyers have returned to the market for exclusive addresses as interest rates come down. Sebastian Paredes, the CEO of DBS Bank (Hong Kong), paid HK$49.4 million for a 1,249 sq ft, three-bedroom flat…
“We are seeing increased interest in big-ticket deals in the market following the start of the rate cut, coupled with deeper price discounts, [and] end users and long-term investors are gaining confidence to enter into buying positions,” said Reeves Yan, executive director and head of capital markets at the commercial property company. “Further rate cuts…
Eddie Yue Wai-man, who will start his second five-year term as the city’s de facto central banker on Tuesday, said development of the Greater Bay Area has been slower than expected. Beijing rolled out its blueprint for the Greater Bay Area project, which seeks to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities into an…
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has this week fired the starting gun on a second phase of digital currency tests as its pilot programme evolves into a ‘more comprehensive exploration of the digital money ecosystem’. Eleven groups of firms from various sectors have been selected to explore innovative use cases for a potential e-Hong…