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Tag: HSBC

  • HSBC Becomes First Foreign Fintech in China

    HSBC Becomes First Foreign Fintech in China

    HSBC furthers its expansion in mainland China with the latest launch of a fintech subsidiary based in Shanghai. The British lender announces the opening of the HSBC Fintech Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, according to a media statement, with an eye to scale up its wealth management business in the mainland.

    We believe technology can help provide better customer services, which can spur the growth of the real economy,» said Mark Wang, president, and chief executive officer for China.

    The opening of HSBC Fintech reflects HSBC’s commitment to investing in mainland China and also our support to developing technology and innovation in the financial world.

    The new entity will initially provide centralized technology and data services to the bank’s mobile financial planning offering in the mainland – HSBC Pinnacle Venture – to target customers outside the branch network. Digital tools introduced will cover financial planning, employee benefits, and wellbeing platforms for through a one-stop platform focused on corporates.

    In the future, HSBC Fintech will gradually expand the scope of its services to cover other HSBC entities.

    Through this corporate platform, we hope to provide dedicated financial services traditionally available only to high net worth customers to corporate employees on a broader basis, creating positive commercial value for companies, and bringing mutual benefits to both companies and employees, added Trista Sun, vice chair of HSBC Insurance Asia Pacific and execute director of HSBC Fintech Company.

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  • HSBC sees Vietnam growing slower than earlier forecast

    HSBC sees Vietnam growing slower than earlier forecast

    HSBC has revised downward its Vietnam GDP growth forecast for 2021 from 8.1 percent to 7.8 percent, pointing to the slow recovery in tourism.

    Travel-related services such as accommodation and transportation remained in a deep slump, it said in a note.

    “There is nothing to be surprised when immigration restrictions are still in place, although Vietnam has made some travel agreements with neighboring countries.”

    The tourism industry could hardly revive until an effective vaccine for Covid-19 was developed and there was a new approach toward global tourism co-operation.

    It also said the inflation rate in 2020 was probably 3.3 percent, much below the 4 percent target set by the State Bank of Vietnam.

    Though the country escaped the worst effects of the pandemic, its businesses and consumers affected by Covid-19 needed great support, but it would be difficult since Vietnam’s public debt-to-GDP ratio was 65 percent.

    The fiscal deficit would increase to 5.2 percent of GDP in 2020 before falling to 4.6 percent in 2021, resulting in public debt falling below 60 percent.

    With the economy likely to revive, the central bank would stick to its monetary policy in the first quarter of 2022 before raising interest rates by 0.25 percentage points in the third quarter.

    Vietnam would remain a “shining star” in 2021, and also benefit from a technology-driven revival, consistent FDI inflows and various trade agreements, HSBC said.

    The only challenge was likely to come from the labor market since, despite some improvement in the third quarter of 2020, unemployment was still on the rise and salaries were declining.

    If this continued, consumer spending, a major factor boosting the economy, would take longer to recover.

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  • More Account Suspensions for Exiled Hong Kong Dissident

    More Account Suspensions for Exiled Hong Kong Dissident

    Self-exiled Hong Kong dissident Ted Hui, who was recently spotlighted over frozen accounts at HSBC, has faced even more pressure from the British lender which allegedly canceled credit cards and «unlawfully embezzled» his funds without explanation.

    Ted Hui Chi-fung claimed that HSBC had not only canceled credit card accounts belonging to him and his family but frozen funds within it that resulted from refunded purchases.

    On the credit cards of both my family and myself, as a result of consumption refunds, the credit is more than the debit,» he said on his social media account. «The balances (around a few tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars) are all private property protected by Hong Kong’s Basic Law. They are now unlawfully embezzled by HSBC without any explanation.

    While Hui’s claims about frozen funds could potentially be contentious, banks routinely assess and close accounts based on legal and compliance risk, especially with regards to politically exposed persons (PEPs).

    This is not the first time Hui has had his accounts frozen after similar moves were made against him and his family’s HSBC Premier accounts in December. At the time, local police issued an official statement confirming it had directed the account suspension over a money laundering and national security law probe.

    Although Hui’s claims that the latest credit card account cancellations were not requested by the police, an HSBC statement indicated otherwise.

    «We have to abide by the laws of the jurisdiction in which we operate and this case is no different,» according to an HSBC spokesperson who said further inquiries should be directed to law enforcement.

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  • HSBC Opens IAM Desk in Singapore

    HSBC Opens IAM Desk in Singapore

    The desk will cater to the needs of family offices and independent advisors managing wealth on the behalf of their clients.

    HSBC’s private banking arm has set up dedicated independent asset management (IAM) in Singapore to expand its reach into a fast-growing segment, the bank announced on Wednesday.

    In the announcement, HSBC noted rapid growth of the IAM industry in wealth management and said growing client awareness and demand for independent advisory services will continue to spur the development of specialized IAM advisors.

    Clients increasingly have more options and by establishing this desk, we are supporting them in their wealth ambition with capabilities underpinned by our international footprint and full private banking suite of capabilities at scale,» Philip Kunz, HSBC’s head of global private banking, Southeast Asia, said.

    HSBC previously said it would place a much greater focus on the family office segment in Asia, following the creation of its newly merged wealth unit in February.

    The bank’s combined wealth business has $1.4 trillion in assets under management, with half of those assets in Asia. Revenue from Asia in the wealth business rose by 12 percent to $5.7 billion last year.

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  • HSBC Appoints Singapore Head of Securities Services

    HSBC Appoints Singapore Head of Securities Services

    The bank has named a longstanding executive as its head of securities services in Singapore, as part of its strategy to capitalize on Singapore’s position as a global-Asia Pacific fund gateway for institutional wealth.

    Noor Adhami, currently based in the United Arab Emirates as HSBC’s regional head of global liquidity and cash management and securities services, MENA and Turkey, will take on the new role from 1 February 2021, the bank announced on Tuesday in a statement.

    Adhami joined HSBC in 2004 and has held a variety of roles in Jordan and Dubai. In her new role, she will report to Brian Godins, Asia Pacific head of securities services and Gavin Powell, Singapore head of markets and securities services.

    Singapore is increasingly becoming a prime international wealth and investment center, Powell said, noting that Adhami’s experience will deepen the bank’s expertise in the Republic and enable it to better support its clients.

    HSBC has been progressively building out its wholesale banking capabilities in Singapore, which includes the launch of a new coverage division focusing on mid-sized non-bank financial institutions.

    In the past year, the securities services division has also launched Asia’s first digital bond issuance alongside Singapore Exchange and Temasek. It was also part of the first interest rate swap trade by an overseas institutional investor through the central counterparty clearing model in the China Interbank Market, and was a securities services provider for the first ETF launched under the Singapore Variable Capital Company structure.

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  • HSBC Co-Head of Advisory and Investment Banking Exits

    HSBC Co-Head of Advisory and Investment Banking Exits

    HSBC’s co-head of advisory and investment banking coves has left the bank to pursue a senior role outside of the industry after joining two years ago.

    Peter Enns has left HSBC, after relocating to Asia from London last year where he was last the global head of financial institutions group for the bank.

    Prior to joining HSBC, Enns spent 21 years with Goldman Sachs in various roles including as the head of its Canada business.

    Enns leaves both business areas in stronger franchise positions, with improved financial performance, said Greg Guyett, co-CEO of global banking and markets in the memo. I would like to thank Peter for his contributions to HSBC.

    According to the bank, a search will be launched to replace Enns whose responsibilities in the meantime will be assumed by Adam Bashaw, the other global co-head of advisory and investment banking coverage.

    Separately, the bank is also strengthening its Asia business with the relocation of its global head of fixed income research Steven Major from London to Hong Kong.

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  • HSBC Securities Services Joins BlackRock’s Provider Network

    HSBC Securities Services Joins BlackRock’s Provider Network

    The move allows asset managers and asset owners to connect seamlessly with HSBC through a single platform.

    HSBC on Tuesday announced that it will offer access to its Securities Services’ products via «Aladdin» – a Blackrock-run platform that helps assets managers check risk in their portfolios, trade, manage data management, and other operational tasks, from the first half of 2021, starting in Hong Kong and Singapore.

    Aladdin – or asset, liability, debt, and derivatives investment network – was conceived by the New York-based firm in the late 1990s as an internal tool. Today, it is one of Blackrock’s most powerful tech tools that it sells to smaller rivals, in a bid to stave off pressure on its active management fund arm from cheaper index funds.

    Sebastien Danloy, HSBC Securities Services’ global head of asset owners and managers, said joining the network adds to HSBC’s capabilities to connect to its clients’ front-office platforms and to offer front-to-back solutions in an open architecture environment to the asset management community.

    Integrating HSBC’s middle office, custody, and fund administration services with Aladdin will help clients access real-time data, streamline their workflows, reduce their manual processes and improve their operational efficiencies, the bank said in the announcement.

    HSBC currently administers $500 billion in assets for 20 global asset managers who already use Aladdin.

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  • HSBC Private Banking identifies key business solutions for female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong Thriving during Covid-19

    HSBC Private Banking identifies key business solutions for female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong Thriving during Covid-19

    HSBC Private Banking gave a boost of confidence to female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the week-long digital summit FoundHER, held in partnership with AllBright, concluded successfully. The summit, which gathered successful female founders and investors in town, sought to unite and build a strong business network that enables entrepreneurial success.

    The Hong Kong series was convened between 16 and 19 November to tackle challenges female entrepreneurs encounter during times of adversity. The event was tailored to provide practical and timely advice on making a successful virtual pitch; insights from experienced angel investors, business leaders and wealth management experts on new investment opportunities; and real-time consultations on business pitches.

    While investors are more stringent in their assessment of a firm’s business model and medium term growth potential during the Covid-19 pandemic, Fan Cheuk Wan, Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist for Asia, HSBC Private Banking, said, “We observe equally strong interests shared by private investors who are looking for innovative, sustainable investment solutions and business opportunities that will emerge robustly after the pandemic.” She added, “Female founders, especially those at early-stage startups, should stay highly adaptive and responsive to the rapidly changing world. By staying on top of the latest global and industry trends, they can build more robust and resilient businesses. Sustainable business models for startups can be more successful in convincing investors during fundraising, despite external challenges and a lack of track record.”

    Echoing these views is Veronica Chou, a well-known female investor, and founder of Everybody and Everyone, a sustainable and eco-innovative womenswear brand. Chou shared that constant communication and risk aversion are keys for her brand’s success. She said “The one thing we all need to do more of is to connect and learn from other industries and even competitors.” She stressed the importance of collaborating with the industry, communities and society at large, to address the growing need for more sustainable and innovative business practices following the global pandemic. Heeding these calls in advance would help protect one’s business, especially during challenging times.

    The FoundHER series has proven to be a meaningful and purposeful networking event at a time where the pandemic has severely hit growth plans of female founders across the city. HSBC Private Banking takes an active and functional role in enabling access to experts who can guide and support entrepreneurs, to help them grow their business and connect them to a variety of opportunities within its network.

    Cynthia Lee, Regional Head of Wealth Planning & Advisory, Asia Pacific , said, “We are well-placed to push forward our efforts in supporting Hong Kong’s female entrepreneurs, as we partner with AllBright for the second consecutive year. The digital summit underscores the value and power of networking, to constantly bring in fresh ideas and lessons from sustainable and successful business models. We believe the programme will prepare female founders and enable them to thrive when new investment opportunities arise from the post-pandemic global recovery.”

     

    Debbie Wosskow OBE, co-founder of AllBright said, “What we are doing with HSBC Private Banking is pivotal to create a format where every woman can pitch the investors skillfully and confidently. While many firms found it hard to navigate their business during the pandemic, FoundHERoffers female founders abundant toolkits and industry insights from the global women community.”

     

  • HSBC Rules Out Full U.S. Exit

    HSBC Rules Out Full U.S. Exit

    A full departure from the largest economy is reportedly no longer being considered but decisions on the retail unit remain unconfirmed.

    A U.S. retail banking pullout could still happen, according to a report citing unnamed sources, though a full exit from the market will not be explored anymore.

    Plans will be outlined by senior managers in the coming weeks alongside suggestions to cut investment banking activities to focus on international clients, especially in Asia and the Middle East.

    HSBC’s decision to downsize its U.S. business is part of a broader overhaul to cut costs and 35,000 jobs globally. According to the British lender, further revisions on plans such as future capital deployment and cost-cutting will be announced during the next annual reporting session.

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  • HSBC Allows Up to Four-Day WFH Option

    HSBC Allows Up to Four-Day WFH Option

    HSBC is the latest bank to allow extensive work-from-home options for workers as the pandemic continues to deeply uproot traditional business models.

    The British lender has changed its human resources guidelines to allow home-based remote working for as many as four days a week, according to a «Bloomberg» report, depending on an employee’s role and discussions with managers.

    This follows earlier prompting by HSBC chief financial officer Ewen Stevenson who said the bank was considering further digitization of operations and hybrid working models.

    Remote working, according to Stevenson, could help reduce expenses as part of a broader overhaul to cut $4.5 billion of costs by 2022 and ax 35,000 jobs globally.

    According to the new guidelines, a one-off allowance of up to HK$2,500 ($322) to purchase equipment will be made available for employees who commit to work at least two days per week from home for a minimum of 12 months.

    The allowance can be used for items such as ergonomic work chairs, computer monitors and desks.

    The wave of banks considering permanent work-from-home measures is growing due to continued uncertainty regarding the pandemic and growth outlook.

    Earlier this week, DBS said it would allow its 29,000-strong workforce to work from home for up to 40 percent of the time as part of broader hiring and work measures announced. Last week, UOB said it would allow the majority of its 26,000 works the option to work remotely for two days a week. Similar measures are being rolled out at Standard Chartered globally.

    But not all are convinced about the approach in the long-term with some Wall Street heavyweights underlining potential risks.

    A J.P. Morgan spokesperson said that productivity was down and that younger employees could miss out on learning opportunities. The bank’s chief executive Jamie Dimon reportedly said last month that he expected serious social and economic damage from prolonged remote working conditions.

    Separately, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink also expressed concerns about lacking productivity and collaboration.

  • HSBC Sues Hin Leong Owners

    HSBC Sues Hin Leong Owners

    The bank, which is owed some $600 million by embattled oil trading firm Hin Leong, is the firm’s largest creditor and first to take legal action to recover losses.

    HSBC is suing Hin Leong owner Lim Oon Kuin and his two children to recover $85.3 million (S$115.8 million) of the $111.7 million they received using fake invoices and documents, according to a report last Friday.

    The bank, which is also suing Serene Seng Hui Choo, a manager of the corporate affairs department at Hin Leong, filed the suit in the High Court on October 21, a report said.

    Some 23 banks reportedly lent a total of $3.85 billion to the troubled oil trader, with HSBC reportedly believed to have the largest exposure. The oil trader overstated the value of assets by at least $3 billion by transferring money between bank accounts to create a false impression that accounts receivables were collected when no payments was actually received, according to a report.

    In September, the firm’s judicial manager PwC took action against Lim, his son Evan Lim Chee Meng and his daughter Lim Huey Ching, who are both executive directors at the company, accusing them of fraudulent trading and breaching their fiduciary duties as directors.

    According to the suit, the outstanding amount of $3.5 billion are Hin Leong’s debts, which the Lim family are personally responsible for, without limitation of liability

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  • HSBC Restructures Further and Faster

    HSBC Restructures Further and Faster

    HSBC will accelerate and expand restructure, despite beating analyst forecast with $3.1 billion of profit before tax in the third quarter. Profits were down $1.8 billion (37 percent) compared to the same period last year, according to the latest earnings release, supported by reducing risky credit and continued cost management. Year-to-date, the London-headquartered bank generated $9.9 billion in profit before tax.

    These were promising results against a backdrop of the continuing impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy, said group chief executive Noel Quinn.

    I’m pleased with the significantly lower credit losses in the quarter, and we are moving at pace to adapt our business model to a protracted low-interest-rate environment.

    Moving forward, the bank will focus on three main strategic priorities: growth acceleration in Asia continued digitalization, and further restructuring.

    On the latter area, the bank is looking to speed up and expand the initiative after saving $600 million in costs this year and shedding 10,000 jobs since the third quarter last year. U.S. and Europe are also restructuring and are also on pace to meet their 2022 targets. We are accelerating the transformation of the Group, moving our focus from interest-rate sensitive business lines towards fee-generating businesses, and further reducing our operating costs, Quinn said. We also intend to increase our rate of investment in Asia, particularly in wealth, the Greater Bay Area, south Asia, trade finance, and sustainable finance.

    According to Quinn, ECL charge for 2020 is trending lower towards the $8-13 billion range but he notes that current guidance makes the assumption that further significant economic deterioration is unlikely.

    In addition, he also highlighted geopolitical risks including U.S.-China tensions as well as uncertainties linked to Brexit.

    We expect lower global interest rates to continue to put pressure on net interest income, Quinn said. Based on current interest rates, we expect further modest net interest income headwinds in 4Q20, with some stabilization as we move into 2021.

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  • HSBC Life Names Duo Chiefs in Singapore

    HSBC Life Names Duo Chiefs in Singapore

    HSBC Life Singapore appointed two senior executives to further expand manufacturing and distribution activities in the city-state. HSBC Life Singapore named Philip Pang and How Chee Koon as a chief investment officer and chief product officer, respectively, according to a Business Times report.

    Pang is responsible for developing, executing, and overseeing the investment strategy of HSBC Life Singapore. He 15 years of experience in insurance and investments including eight years as the head of investments with Prudential Singapore and NTUC Income Singapore. Previously, he also worked with HSBC Global Asset Management in Hong Kong and Singapore.

    How is responsible for strategic implementation and execution of new product developments and the management of HSBC Life Singapore’s product suite. He has nearly 15 years of life insurance experience across product development, actuarial pricing and valuation, data analytics, distribution and marketing, and was most recently head of consumer marketing at AIA Singapore.

    According to HSBC, its life insurance unit in Singapore will play a key role in the broader bank’s ambitions to become a top wealth manager in Asia.

    HSBC Life Singapore’s chief executive Carlos Vazquez also underlined greater internal collaboration with the asset management and the $1.4 trillion wealth management unit – newly formed earlier this year by merging retail and private banking.

    HSBC rebranded its Singapore insurance business in May last year and has since signaled a growth drive by rolling out more products and expanding distribution to include partnerships with independent financial advisory firms.

    The British financier is not alone in expanding its insurance business in Singapore. Most recently, China Life Singapore said it would also accelerate expansion by hiring over 500 consultants by 2023 to target wealthy individuals in the city-state.

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  • HSBC Private Banking Names Southeast Asia Market Heads

    HSBC Private Banking Names Southeast Asia Market Heads

    Less than four months after the exit of single ex-market head of Singapore and Malaysia, HSBC Private Banking promotes two internally to head the respective markets.

    HSBC Private Banking named Ken Ng as market head for Singapore and Gary Goh as market head for Malaysia, replacing the former dual-head Chow Shang-Wei who resigned earlier this year after a four-year stint, according to a statement.

    Ng is an HSBC veteran, joining the British lender in 1995 with experience across wealth management, corporate banking and risk. He joined the private banking arm in 2014 and was previously a desk head.

    Goh has 23 years of experience in the financial industry and joined HSBC Private Banking in 2019 from Standard Chartered Private Bank where he headed the Singapore market. Previously, had also worked at UBS Wealth Management, as a desk head for its Chinese entrepreneur segment, as well as at Credit Suisse and Citigroup.

    Although the bank is running an accelerated global overhaul which includes 35,000 job cuts, it remains in growth mode in Asia especially following a restructuring that created a $1.4 trillion wealth and personal banking unit. The unit has set various expansion targets, including up to 3,000 hires by 2024 in its Guangzhou and Shanghai offices.

    In the latest duo appointments, the bank added that it would seek to double its Singapore wealth and personal banking unit over five years as part of its «efforts to cement Singapore’s role as a prime international wealth center.

    Southeast Asia is home to some of the fastest-growing economies spurring the next generation of wealthy entrepreneurs,» said Philip Kunz, Southeast Asia head of global private banking. «Singapore and Malaysia sit at the nexus as many entrepreneurs look to expand regionally.

    In the last 12 months, HSBC has been actively rostering senior positions in its private bank with a string of hires and internal appointments.

    Last month, the private bank promoted another duo – Jeffrey Yap and Adam Lau – as Southeast Asia head of investment services and product solutions and the newly created role of APAC head of market solutions, respectively. It also expanded to its Greater China product and investment teams in late 2019 with the addition of Lina Lim, ex-J.P. Morgan; Rocky Cheung, ex-DBS; and Simon Hwang, ex-Citi.

    Other senior moves included the hire of ex-Deutsche exec Lavanya Chari as the global head of products, investment and collaboration; ex-J.P. Morgan exec Sharon Oh as chief operating officer; and the appointment of Cynthia Lee as APAC head of private wealth solutions.

  • HSBC Ramps Up China Hiring Despite Tensions

    HSBC Ramps Up China Hiring Despite Tensions

    HSBC stay on course with its China ambitions with the latest target to hire 2,000 to 3,000 wealth planners over the next four years for its mainland business. HSBC’s will seek to broadly expand its count of wealth planners in Asia with much of the growing focus placed on China where it could hire up to 3,000 by 2024. The bank is already housing its first 100 digitally-enabled wealth planners in its Guangzhou and Shanghai offices.

    Our new venture in mainland China, signals not only our commitment but our progress in increasing investments in people, technology, and wealth capabilities over the next few years, said Greg Hingston, HSBC’s APAC head of wealth and personal banking, in a statement.

    This will be central to our ambitions to become the leading wealth manager in Asia.

    While accelerating its global overhaul which includes 35,000 job cuts, the bank continues to hire in the region, most notably for its China business.

    Since 2017, the bank hired 800 people for its wealth management business and opened six Jade Centers – its affluent segment – since the start of 2019. Earlier this year, the bank also reportedly said it had also planned to add another 500 to its private banking and wealth management business by 2022 with a focus on Hong Kong and Singapore.

    HSBC maintains its expansion plans for its newly merged retail and private banking unit despite increasing political uncertainty including, most notably, the British bank’s involvement in the Huawei scandal and its public support for the controversial national security law in Hong Kong.

    On the former, HSBC faces increasingly intense pressures in the mainland over its involvement which most recently included allegations that it feigned ignorance about Huawei’s dealings and even suggested that it took unnecessary risks that resulted in U.S. detection. State-backed media Global Times claimed last month that the bank’s resumption of planned job cuts may mark the beginning of the end for the embattled British bank in China, citing an unnamed Beijing observer that suggested it could be pushed out of the mainland market over the legal scandal.

    In the first half, pre-tax profits at HSBC plunged 65 percent to reach $4.32 billion missing analyst estimates of $5.67 billion. Although its China business posted $1.5 billion of pre-tax profits, the wealth and personal banking business in the country registered a $26 million loss.