Tag: HSBC

HSBC: growing pains

May 15, 2013 9:21am by Stefan Wagstyl

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HSBC ceo Stuart Gulliver on Wednesday pledged to stick the tough strategy he launched in 2011, with more cost cuts combined with boosting financial commitment to emerging markets.

In a presentation of plans for 2014-16, he delivered a difficult message for employees, with a target to reduce jobs from 261,000 last year (down from 295,000 in 2010) to 240,000-250,000.

But investors will be happy with the promise of a return on equity target of 12-15 per cent, and a commitment to push 75 per cent of the growth in risk-weighted assets to emerging markets. The shares barely moved but are up by 12 per cent since a recent low in April and by 36 per cent in the last 12 months. Continue reading »

Tags: banking, HSBC Posted in Global | Permalink

HSBC: “difficult” year ahead, but growth coming from China’s recovery

Mar 4, 2013 9:51am by Stefan Wagstyl

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HSBC, the giant of emerging markets’ banking, disappointed investors with a 6 per cent drop in pre-tax profits to $20.6bn compared to forecasts of a 5 per cent gain to around $23bn.

But with the biggest surprise coming from a $5.2bn accounting adjustment on the value of HSBC’s own debt, Monday’s results weren’t too much of a shock. Nonetheless, the shares fell 2.5 per cent, dragged down not only by the numbers but also by China property market fears. Continue reading »

Tags: banking, China economy, HSBC Posted in Global | Permalink

Bancolombia seals $2.1bn deal for HSBC Panama

Feb 19, 2013 10:54pm by Andres Schipani

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The invasion of Central America by Colombia’s major financial groups rumbled on on Tuesday after Bancolombia, the country’s leading bank, snapped up HSBC’s operations in Panama for $2.1bn. Continue reading »

Tags: Bancolombia, banking, HSBC, LatAm banking, M&A Posted in Colombia, LatAm, Panama | Permalink

China flash PMI – green shoots with sturdy roots?

Jan 24, 2013 5:29am by Sarah Mishkin

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Another data point out today is undoubtedly going to encourage those hoping to see evidence that the green shoots of China’s economic recovery have sturdy roots.

This month, the HSBC/Markit China flash purchasing managers’ index, a private survey of the health of the manufacturing sector, hit its highest point in two years, as Chinese manufacturers accelerated production and began some restocking. Continue reading »

Tags: China economy, global trade, HSBC, manufacturing, PMIs Posted in Asia, China | Permalink

HK and China: a special relationship

Jan 16, 2013 9:50am by Andrew Bowman

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From time to time concerns are raised that Hong Kong could one day be eclipsed by financial centres on the Chinese mainland, notably Shanghai. But such fears are overblown according to a new report from HSBC’s Donna Kwok, which says Hong Kong has quite enough advantages to avoid being put in the shade any time soon. Continue reading »

Tags: FDI, financial centres, Hong Kong, HSBC, renminbi Posted in Asia, China | Permalink

HSBC: Ping An deal still on course

Jan 10, 2013 5:38pm by Stefan Wagstyl

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HSBC on Thursday finally responded to the welter of speculation about the planned sale of its $9.4bn stake in Ping An, the Chinese insurer.

And it seemed to dismiss suggestions that the deal might be off because of widely-reported concerns that the Chinese state bank financing the deal might pull out. It said, in short, that it had nothing to add to its December 5 statement announcing the sale. Will this be the last word in this complicated saga? Continue reading »

Tags: HSBC, insurance, Ping An Posted in Asia, China | Permalink

Citi’s EM strategy: better this time?

Dec 6, 2012 4:40pm by Jonathan Wheatley

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Photo: Bloomberg

Citigroup’s announcement of sweeping cuts after less than two months under Michael Corbat, the bank’s new chief executive, may have surprised by its timing. Nevertheless, the fact that Citi is paring back or closing down its operations in several emerging markets has an air of inevitability about it.

But is Citi aping HSBC’s plan of focusing on only a few, profitable emerging markets? Or is it dressing up a hurried retreat as a carefully-honed strategy? Continue reading »

Tags: banking, Citigroup, HSBC Posted in Global | Permalink

Ping An: changing partners

Dec 5, 2012 11:00am by Stefan Wagstyl

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HSBC‘s $9.4bn deal to sell its 15.6 per cent stake in Ping An to Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group is clearly good news for the British bank. It should also be good news for the Chinese insurer, assuming that Charoen Pokphand follows HSBC’s example in the role of long-term stable foreign shareholder.

Investors in Ping An are betting that it will, with the shares jumping 5.6 per cent in Hong Kong on the news and later closing up 4.1 per cent. HSBC, which made its intentions clear weeks ago, saw its shares rise 1 per cent. Continue reading »

Tags: China economy, HSBC, insurance, Ping An Posted in Asia, China, Thailand | Permalink

HSBC up on Ping An sale talks

Nov 19, 2012 7:42am by Stefan Wagstyl

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Shares in HSBC jumped 1.4 per cent in Hong Kong on Monday after the bank confirmed what investors had long suspected – its $9.5bn stake in Ping An Insurance, China’s second-biggest insurer, is up for sale.

The bank issued a statement after the Hong Kong Economic Journal, a Chinese-language newspaper, reported that Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, who controls the Charoen Pokphand Group, was among the potential purchasers.

But its not a done deal and shares in Ping An fell 2.7 per cent as investors weighed the consequences of the company losing its prestigious connection with one of the world’s best-known banks. Continue reading »

Tags: banking, HSBC, insurance, Ping An Posted in Asia, China | Permalink

Little cheer in China’s PMI

Oct 1, 2012 8:42am by Stefan Wagstyl

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A slew of PMI numbers for Asia, and precious little sign of economic recovery in any of them.

For the bulls there’s the crumb of comfort that there were no unexpected shocks in the figures. But for bears there was much more to chew upon – with factories in China and elsewhere struggling in the face of weak export demand from the US and Europe.

East Asian markets were mostly closed for a holiday. Those that were open, including Jakarta and Mumbai, drifted lower in cautious trading. Continue reading »

Tags: exports, GDP, HSBC, PMIs, S Korea economy Posted in Asia, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan | Permalink

Suitors line up for HSBC LatAm assets

May 11, 2012 3:19am by Naomi Mapstone

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HSBC’s decision to sell off its retail units in Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay is welcome news to bankers looking for a foothold in some of the world’s more attractive prospects.

Colombia’s GNB Sudameris appears to already have the jump on rivals for HSBC’s affections, however, with local reports suggesting it is in advanced talks and may have even already clinched a deal. Continue reading »

Tags: banking, financial services, GNB Sudameris, HSBC, LatAm banking, M&A Posted in Brazil, Colombia, Global, LatAm, Peru, Uruguay | Permalink

HSBC: some Latin farewells

May 10, 2012 11:07am by Stefan Wagstyl

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Next for the chop in HSBC’s $3.5bn restructuring programme are retail operations Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay. Continue reading »

Tags: banking, HSBC Posted in Global | Permalink

Fund flows: investors on amber

May 4, 2012 4:31pm by Stefan Wagstyl

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As far as investors are concerned, the lights are still on amber in emerging markets.

Flows into EM funds in the last week have gone almost entirely into hard currency bonds, with very little trickling into local currency bonds or equities. After this year’s early rally and the sharp sell-off that followed in both equities and currencies, investors are taking care, but are still on the look-out for the extra returns possible in EMs. Continue reading »

Tags: bonds, EPFR, fund flows, HSBC Posted in Global | Permalink

HSBC: back to basics in Oman

Apr 18, 2012 3:16pm by Camilla Hall

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HSBC is hoping to extend its red and white tentacles across Oman, the oil-rich Gulf state, after it agreed to merge its local unit with publicly-traded Oman International Bank.

HSBC plans to take a 51 per cent stake in the combined entity which will be re-named HSBC Bank Oman, the company said today. As part of the deal, HSBC will inject $97.4m into the joint lender. But why merge when other banks just expand? Continue reading »

Tags: Gulf banking, HSBC Posted in MidEast, Oman | Permalink

HSBC: first with a London yuan bond

Apr 18, 2012 8:50am by Stefan Wagstyl

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HSBC has been quick to score brownie points with the UK Treasury by drawing up plans for London’s first renminbi bond issue – and the first outside mainland China and Hong Kong.

Even before the bank itself published an official release, chancellor George Osborne jumped on the story on Wednesday and crowed: “This morning, we saw the launch of the first RMB bond outside of Chinese sovereign territories. And it happened here in London.” Continue reading »

Tags: dim sum bonds, HSBC, Rmb internationalisation Posted in Asia, China | Permalink

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Tag: HSBC

HSBC: growing pains

HSBC: “difficult” year ahead, but growth coming from China’s recovery

Bancolombia seals $2.1bn deal for HSBC Panama

China flash PMI – green shoots with sturdy roots?

HK and China: a special relationship

HSBC: Ping An deal still on course

Citi’s EM strategy: better this time?

Ping An: changing partners

HSBC up on Ping An sale talks

Little cheer in China’s PMI

Suitors line up for HSBC LatAm assets

HSBC: some Latin farewells

Fund flows: investors on amber

HSBC: back to basics in Oman

HSBC: first with a London yuan bond

BB: time to register

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