The Hong Kong banking and financial services group reported a net profit of HK$1.56 billion (US$201m) in the first six months of 2020, a 50% rise year on year.  

Net interest income dropped by 17.6% to HK$6.11 billion while net interest margin was down to 1.59% from 1.9% year-on-year (YoY). Non-interest income fell by 15.1% to HK$2.36 billion as net fee and commission income increased by 6% to HK$1.44 billion while net trading and hedging profit and net results from other instruments decreased by 36.8% to HK$ 420m.

The bank led by executive chairman David Li (pictured) is the third biggest issuer in Hong Kong SAR year to date with a 4.91% market share across 383 products worth an estimated US$3.5 billion; and the fifth manufacturer in China with a 5.5% market share across 175 products worth US$2.5 billion.

The bank has over 230 live products in Hong Kong SAR including not flow and leverage, and 120 live structures in China,  SRP data shows. In Hong Kong, the notes were deployed with knockout, reverse convertible and worst of option as payoff with equity baskets as the most used underlyings, such as the combination of AAC Technologies (H Shares) and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and the basket of Alibaba and Tencent Holdings. In China, all the products were structured deposits with digital and range as the most-used payoffs.

BEA continues to see good prospects for long-term business growth in Greater China, and particularly in the GBA where it has ‘extensive onshore and offshore presence [and] is well positioned to capture new opportunities stemming from cross-border mortgage as well as the impending Wealth Management Connect (WMC)’.

The will ‘further develop the market for wealth management and retirement planning services in the GBA’.

The WMC scheme, launched on 29 June, is a government initiative to facilitate cross-boundary wealth management for the GBA residents, which allows Mainland residents to invest in certain products distributed by banks in Hong Kong and Macau and the other way around. 

The products scope cover ‘mainly simple investment products of relatively low risk’, said Hong Kong Monetary Authority in an announcement.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong-based Hang Seng bank announced its partnership with Ping An of China Asset Management to launch their first co-branded fund - the Hang Seng Ping An Asian Income Fund – as they ‘gear up for opportunities opening up under the WMC pilot scheme”.

“Structured notes are not on the list at least for now,” a banker at a medium-sized state-owned bank told SRP. “Neither do structured deposits as banks have been required to have them scaled down although they’re principal guaranteed.”

Derivatives

Net gain on derivatives grew to HK$262m from HK$49m, making up 57.8% of net trading profit.

Derivative assets remained stable at HK$5.64 billion while the liabilities rose 36.6% to HK$10.46 billion YoY.

By exposure, interest rate overtook exchange rate as the largest contributor to the assets with a balance of HK$3.18 billion, a 56.2% increase YoY, while the latter was down 55.3% to HK$1.29 billion. At the same time, equity contracts rose 51.9% to HK$1.17 billion YoY.

By liability, interest rate, exchange rate and equity made up 76.3%, 12.4% and 11.2% respectively.

Source: BEA

Greater Bay Area (GBA)

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, also known as the Pearl River Delta, played a significant role as it helped the bank to ‘further diversified its income portfolios by strengthening cross-selling and business referrals’.

The private banking subsidiary saw non-interest income remain steady at HK$576 million, contributing over 20% of its operating income.

The bank’s wealth management division which also offers structured deposits and notes posted a stable pre-tax profit of HK$284m, ‘income from Mainland clients, particularly those in the GBA, increased year-on-year.’

Click here to view the 2020 interim report.