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HSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered in

London. It is the world's largest company and the world's largest banking group (Forbes list, 2008). HSBC
was named the world's most valuable banking brand by The Banker magazine (2008).

HSBC was established in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China
and Europe by Scotsman Thomas Sutherland, who wanted a bank operating on "sound Scottish banking
principles

HSBC FROM WIKIPEDIA

HSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales in 1990,
and headquartered in London since 1993.[1] As of 2009, it is both the world's largest banking
group and the world's 6th largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes
magazine.[2][3] The group was founded from The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation based in Hong Kong, the acronym of which led to the current name. Today, whilst
no single geographical area dominates the group's earnings, Hong Kong still continues to be a
significant source of its income. Recent acquisitions and expansion in China are returning HSBC
to part of its roots.[4] HSBC has an enormous operational base in Asia and significant lending,
investment, and insurance activities around the world. The company has a global reach and
financial fundamentals matched by few other banking or financial multinationals.[5]
HSBC is listed on the London, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchanges, and
is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and the Hang Seng Index.
Development of the bank

HSBC Main Building, located in Hong Kong.


HSBC World Headquarters at 8 Canada Square in London, from the western end of West India
Quay
HSBC Holdings was established in 1990 and became the parent company to The Hongkong and
Shanghai Banking Corporation in preparation for its purchase of Midland Bank and a change of
domicile for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong. Shares in HSBC Holdings, which gave
HSBC a substantial presence in the UK, was completed in 1992. HSBC then moved the
headquarters of HSBC Holdings from 1 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong to 10 Lower Thames
Street, London in 1993.[6]
Major acquisitions in South America started with the purchase of Banco Bamerindus of Brazil
for $1bn in March 1997[7] and the acquisition of Roberts SA de Inversiones of Argentina for
$600m in May 1997.[8]
In May 1999 HSBC embarked on a major acquisition in the United States with the purchase of
Republic National Bank of New York for $10.3bn.[9]
Expansion into Continental Europe took place in April 2000 with the acquisition of Crédit
Commercial de France, a large French bank for £6.6bn.[10]
In July 2001 HSBC bought Demirbank, an insolvent Turkish bank.[11] Then in August 2002
HSBC acquired Grupo Financiero Bital, SA de CV, Mexico's largest retail bank for $1.1bn.[12]
The new headquarters of HSBC Holdings at 8 Canada Square, London officially opened in April
2003.[13]
Then in September 2003 HSBC bought Polski Kredyt Bank SA of Poland for $7.8m.[14]
A terrorist attack took place in November 2003: a bomb blast in Istanbul damaged the bank’s
head office in Turkey, causing several deaths and hundreds of injuries.[15]
In June 2004 HSBC expanded into China buying 19.9% of the Bank of Communications of
Shanghai.[16]
In the United Kingdom HSBC acquired Marks & Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings Ltd
for £763m in December 2004.[17]
Acquisitions in 2005 included Metris Inc, a US credit card issuer for $1.6bn in August[18] and
70.1% of Dar Es Salaam Investment Bank of Iraq in October.[19]
In April 2006 HSBC bought the 90 branches in Argentina of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro for
$155m.[20]
In December 2007 HSBC acquired The Chinese Bank in Taiwan.[21]
In May 2008 HSBC acquired IL&FS Investment, an Indian retail broking firm.[22]
In August 2009 HSBC Forays Into China's Life Insurance Market.[23]
[edit] Role in subprime crisis
In November 2002 HSBC expanded in the United States, spending £9bn (US$15.5bn) to acquire
Household Finance Corporation (HFC), a US credit card issuer and subprime lender.[24] In a 2003
cover story, The Banker noted "when banking historians look back, they may conclude that [it]
was the deal of the first decade of the 21st century".[25] Under the new name of HSBC Finance,
the division was the second largest subprime lender in the US.[26]
The business indeed turned sour, costing HSBC some US$62bn[citation needed]. In March 2009, HSBC
announced that it would shut down the branch network of its HSBC Finance arm in the U.S.,
leading to nearly 6,000 job losses, and leaving only the credit card business to continue
operating.[27][28]
Chairman Stephen Green admitted that "with the benefit of hindsight, this is an acquisition we
wish we had not undertaken."[29]; analyst Colin Morton said, "the takeover was an absolute
disaster". [28][30]
Although it was at the centre of the subprime storm, the wider group has weathered the economic
crisis better than other global banks. According to Bloomberg, "HSBC is one of world’s strongest
banks by some measures."[31] When HM Treasury required all UK banks to increase their capital
in October 2007, the group transferred £750 million to London within hours, and announced that
it had just lent £4 billion to other UK banks.[32] In March 2009, it announced that it had made
US$9.3bn of profit in 2008 and announced a £12.5bn (US$17.7bn; HK$138bn) rights issue to
enable it to buy other banks that were struggling to survive.[33] However, uncertainty over the
rights' issue's implications for institutional investors caused volatility in the Hong Kong stock
market: on 9 March 2009 HSBC's share price fell 24.14%, with 12 million shares sold in the last
few seconds of trading.[34]
[edit] Operations
[edit] Corporate profile
In February 2008, HSBC was named the world's most valuable banking brand by The Banker
magazine.[35][36] Not known for marked fluctuations in securities exchanges around the world
relative to its rivals, HSBC is more well known in banking circles for its conservative and risk-
averse approach in its business operations - a company tradition going back to the 19th
century.[37] In its technical management, however, HSBC has recently suffered a series of
headline-making incidents in which some customer data were allegedly leaked or simply went
missing. Although the consequences turned out to be small, the embarrassing effect on the
group's image did not go unnoticed.[38]
As of April 2, 2008, according to Forbes magazine, HSBC was the fourth largest bank in the
world in terms of assets ($2,348.98 billion), the second largest in terms of sales ($146.50 billion),
the largest in terms of market value ($180.81 billion). It was also the most profitable bank in the
world with $19.13 billion in net income in 2007 (compared to Citigroup's $3.62 billion and Bank
of America's $14.98 billion in the same period).[39]
HSBC is by far the largest bank both in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong and prints most
of Hong Kong's local currency in its own name. Since the end of 2005, HSBC has been rated the
largest banking group in the world by Tier 1 capital.[40]
The HSBC Group has a significant presence in each of the world's major financial markets, with
the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe each representing around one third of the business. With
9,500 offices in 86 countries, 210,000 shareholders, 330,000 staff and 128 million customers
worldwide, HSBC arguably has the most international presence among the world's multinational
banking giants.
The HSBC Group operates as a number of local banks around the world, which explains its
advertising tagline "The World's Local Bank."[41] Outlined below are countries which, in 2007,
generated the top 20 profit before tax figures, with the addition of the United States as specific
issues exclude that country from the top 20 for 2007.[42] For details of other group companies see
Category:HSBC.
[edit] Americas
• HSBC Bank Argentina SA has around 150 branches throughout Argentina providing a
full range of banking and financial products and services to over 1.2 million customers.
• HSBC acquired The Bank of Bermuda Limited in February 2004 for US$1.3bn.
Founded in 1889, Bank of Bermuda is a leading provider of fund administration, trust,
custody, asset management and banking services. Since the acquisition the group has
focused its global efforts in some areas of these services on the island. [43]
• HSBC Bank Brasil SA is HSBC’s largest presence in South America. HSBC is now
among the ten largest banks in Brazil, with more than 1,700 branches and sub-branches in
550 Brazilian cities.

Palacio Avenida: The headquarters of HSBC Bank Brasil, located in Curitiba.


• HSBC Bank Canada is the seventh largest bank in Canada, with offices in every
province except for Prince Edward Island, and is the largest foreign-owned bank in the
country. HSBC has a very strong presence in overseas Chinese communities, especially
in Vancouver and Toronto[citation needed]. The bank's headquarters are located in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
• HSBC Chile The HSBC Group first set up operations in Chile in 1981. Presently, HSBC
Bank Chile is focusing on Global Banking and Commercial Bank businesses.
• Banco HSBC (Costa Rica) S.A. operates around 40 branches throughout the major cities
and is the third largest bank in the country. In the summer of 2007 HSBC acquired Grupo
Banistmo in Panama, the owner of Banco Banex in Costa Rica.
• HSBC El Salvador, SA is the third largest banking and financial service firm in the
country.
• HSBC Honduras has 49 branches and is one of the largest banks in the country. HSBC
acquired Banco Grupo El Ahorro Hondureño (BGA) when it acquired Banistmo in
Panama. Banistmo had bought the bank in 2002, about a year after it was formed from
the merger of Banco La Capitalizadora Hondureña (Bancahsa; est. 1948) and the Banco
del Ahorro Hondureño.
• HSBC Mexico, SA is one of Mexico’s four largest banking and financial service
companies, with 1,400 branches, 4,800 ATMs and 6 million customers. HSBC purchased
Banco Internacional, SA known as Bital, in November 2002, rebranding it overnight in
January 2004.
• HSBC Panama, SA HSBC's presence in Panama dates back to 1972. In 2000, HSBC
Bank USA acquired Chase Manhattan's full-service, stand-alone bank business, which
includes retail and wholesale capabilities. The acquisition included 11 full-service
branches: seven branches in Panama City, two branches in Colon City, one branch in
David and one branch in Chitre. At the time of the acquisition, HSBC operated in Panama
as a full-service branch of HSBC Bank plc, with a strong franchise in corporate business
as well as five retail branches. The acquisition of Chase Manhattan's business more than
doubled HSBC's assets in Panama. Then in 2006, HSBC bought Grupo Banistmo, the
largest financial services company in Central America, based in Panama for $1.8bn.[44]
• HSBC established HSBC Paraguay SA when it acquired Lloyds TSB Bank Paraguay in
2007. Lloyds TSB had been in Paraguay since 1920 when the Bank of London and the
River Plate established a branch in Asunción.
• HSBC Bank Peru S.A. In October 2006, HSBC began the first phase of its plan business
in Peru, with the aim of meeting small, medium and large companies during the second
half of 2007 is implemented and a network of Personal Banking initial agency in Lima
that will expand gradually.
• HSBC Bank USA NA and HSBC Finance Corporation represent the group’s business
in the US, which has been built up via the acquisition of Marine Midland (1980),
Republic National Bank (1999), Household International (2003) and Metris Companies
(2005) Solstice Capital Group (2006), among others. HSBC Bank USA, headquartered in
Wilmington, Delaware (as of 2008), is a full service bank, with a strong branch network
in New York State but also operating nationwide. HSBC Finance Corporation focuses on
selected lines of consumer lending with a branch network across the US.
[edit] Asia Pacific
The HSBC Global Technology Centre in Pune, India develops software for the entire HSBC
group[45].

HSBC in Kolkata.
• HSBC Bank Australia Limited gained its banking licence in 1986. Today, the bank
offers a full range of Personal and Commercial services via a network of branches as well
as direct channels.
• HSBC Bangladesh opened its first branch in 1996 and now has 10 offices there.
• HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited and HSBC Rural Bank Company Limited
HSBC established its Shanghai branch office on 3 April 1865 and has had a continuous
presence in the city since then, except for a break during the Japanese Occupation. Until
the economic reforms of the late 1970s, its activities were mainly in inward remittances
and export bills, however its activities now span a wider range. HSBC has purchased
stakes in various local firms, including 19% of Bank of Communications, 8% of Bank of
Shanghai, 16.8% of Ping An Insurance and via its subsidiary Hang Seng Bank, 12.8% of
Industrial Bank. In 1996, HSBC was one of the first foreign banks approved to conduct
renminbi business in Shanghai. The bank opened a new office in Chengdu and received
approval to open a branch in Pudong and upgrade its Dalian office to a branch.
• HSBC first opened for business in Hong Kong on 3 March 1865. It is one of three
commercial banks that issue Hong Kong dollar banknotes in the Hong Kong SAR and
has the largest share by value. The Hang Seng Index for stock prices in Hong Kong is
named after the Hang Seng Bank Limited, which is a subsidiary of HSBC. The two banks
are today first and second by market share in Hong Kong.
• HSBC India. In 1959 HSBC acquired The Mercantile Bank of India, London and China,
established in October 1853 in Bombay. HSBC is now one of the fastest growing foreign
banks in India, both in domestic banking and support operations for worldwide
operations (see Group Service Centres).
• HSBC opened its first Indonesian office in Batavia in 1884 to serve the sugar trade. It
then expanded its operation to Surabaya in 1896. Later in 1994 HSBC upgraded its
Semarang agency, which it had opened in 1878, into a full branch. HSBC twice closed its
operations in Indonesia. The first closure was during World War II, though it immediately
returned after the war. In the mid-1960s, the Indonesia government forced the bank to
close again, but the bank received a new banking license in 1968. In October 2008,
HSBC paid US$608 million to acquire 89% of Bank Ekonomi, which had 2,200 staff, 86
branches, and about US$1.8 billion in assets. The acquisition made HSBC the third
largest bank in the country, and gave it a total of 190 branches in 24 cities.
• HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad traces its history back to the opening of the first HSBC
office in Penang in 1884. The bank later became an issuer of currency notes for the
Malaysian government. In 1994, HSBC became the first foreign bank to incorporate
locally, forming Hongkong Bank Malaysia Berhad (now HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad).
The bank today provides a full range of personal and commercial financial services.
HSBC Holdings plc in London UK is set to shift a significant number of jobs from
Britain to its new operational headquarters in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. HSBC operates a call
centre in Cyberjaya,Malaysia, a cybercity in Malaysia.
• HSBC started its operations in Pakistan in 1982. Since then it has expanded to all major
cities of Pakistan and operates as a full service bank. It currently has 12 offices: four in
Karachi, two in Lahore, two in Islamabad and one each in Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Multan
and Faisalabad. The head-office is based in Karachi.
• The HSBC Group is represented in the Philippines through The Hongkong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation Limited, and its subsidiary, the locally-incorporated HSBC Savings
Bank (Philippines) Inc. HSBC opened its first branch in the Philippines in Binondo in
November 1875. In 1883, a second branch was opened in Iloilo to serve the growing
sugar industry. In 1971, the branch in Binondo was moved to Makati City. Ten years later,
in 1981, the Iloilo branch was closed and a new branch in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, was
opened.
• HSBC Singapore operates as a full service bank with its headquarters in Collyer Quay. It
is an approved Primary Dealer in the Singapore Government Securities Market and an
Approved Bond Intermediary, with over a hundred staff operating one of the largest
integrated dealing rooms in Singapore.
• HSBC (Sri Lanka) traces its presence there to 1 July 1892. In 1882, HSBC appointed
Delmege Reid and Co., which became Delmege Forsyth and Co. Ltd., as its agent in
Colombo. In 1892, after the collapse of the New Oriental Banking Corporation HSBC
saw an opportunity and established a branch.
• HSBC (Thailand) initially opened a branch in Bangkok in 1888, becoming the first
commercial bank in the country. In 1889 HSBC issued the first banknotes in Thailand.
Later, in 1905, HSBC joined with France's Banque de l'Indochine to issue the first foreign
loan to the Thai government for its railroad construction project.
• HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Company Limited HSBC has had a long history in Vietnam,
having opened a branch in Saigon in 1870. The branch operated for over 100 years, until
its closure in 1975. In 1992, the bank opened representative offices in Ho Chi Minh City
(HCMC) and Hanoi; HSBC upgraded the office in HCMC to a full-service branch in
August 1995.
[edit] Europe
• HSBC Bank Armenia cjsc is a 70 per cent indirectly owned subsidiary of HSBC Bank.
Armenian business interests own the remaining equity. The bank began operations as
Midland Armenia Bank in Yerevan in March 1996 and was the first international bank to
open in Armenia. It is one of the leading banks in the foreign exchange market.
• HSBC opened its Prague Branch in May 1997.
• HSBC SA operates around 380 branches in France since the takeover of Credit
Commercial de France, primarily operating under the HSBC brand. HSBC France is now
the HSBC Group’s lead bank in the Eurozone, focusing on certain capital market
products for a global audience, and high net worth and international business in France.
• HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG traces its origins to 1785. It has operations in private,
commercial and investment banking and asset management.
• HSBC Hellas HSBC has been operating in Greece since 1981. In 2001, HSBC acquired
Barclay's operations in Greece, which amounted to 13 branches and included fund
management.
• HSBC Bank Malta plc is one of the largest banks in Malta. It is a listed company but its
majority shareholder is the HSBC Group. HSBC Bank Malta traces its origins back to the
founding of the Anglo-Egyptian Bank in 1864, which makes it the second oldest bank in
Malta.
• HSBC (Spain) dates back to the establishment of a branch in Madrid in 1982.
• HSBC Private Bank is the Swiss operating subsidiaries of the group's Private Banking
business, with 12 locations in the country.
• HSBC Bank AS is now the fifth largest private bank in Turkey, having expanded through
internal financing and via acquisition since entering the market in 1990. The bank has a
network of around 190 branches, offering products and services to corporate, commercial
and personal customers, both under the HSBC brand as well as the Advantage brand.
• HSBC Bank plc is one of the "Big Five" high street banks in the UK, maintaining a large
network of branches in England and Wales, with a smaller presence in Scotland and
Northern Ireland. It acquired this presence in 1992 with the acquisition of Midland Bank
plc. It also operates the previously Midland-owned telephone and internet bank First
Direct, the consumer lending brand Beneficial Finance, and the financial services
divisions of Marks & Spencer and the John Lewis Partnership.
• In Russia, HSBC operates through OOO HSBC Bank (RR),which is the 103rd largest
bank in the country and is an affiliate of HSBC Bank plc.
[edit] Middle East and Africa
• HSBC Algeria commenced operating in 2008, after HSBC received permission in 2007
from the Bank of Algeria to establish a subsidiary. The branch has a capital of 2,5 billion
dinars, or about 25 million euros, which it will increase to 3,6 billion dinars (36 million
euros) within three years. It is headed by an Algerian, Rachid Sekak, the former head of
foreign debt at the Bank of Algeria, who had earlier came from HSBC's operations in
Paris.[46]
• HSBC Bank Egypt SAE traces its origins to a joint-venture bank established in 1982. In
2001 HSBC was able to increase its ownership stake from 40% to 94.5%, after which it
rebranded the bank as part of the HSBC group.
• In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the HSBC Group is represented by HSBC Bank
Middle East Limited, the largest and most widely represented international bank in the
Middle East. HSBC's presence dates back to its acquisition in 1959 of British Bank of the
Middle East, which had been present in Jordan since 1889.
• HSBC dates its presence in Lebanon to 1949. HSBC has branches located in St. Georges
Bay, Dora, Ras Beirut, Verdun and Zouk.
• HSBC Bank Middle East Limited . HSBC Oman represents a key part of HSBC Bank
Middle East's business since 1959, with 6 branches and 3 customer services Oulet. HSBC
in Oman offers a full range of Personal Financial Services such as Current and Savings
Accounts, Time Deposits, packaged financial products like HSBC Premier and STATUS,
Credit Cards, Personal Loans and Home Loans.
• SABB (The Saudi British Bank) In Saudi Arabia HSBC is represented by The Saudi
British Bank, which is a 40% owned affiliate. HSBC is also a joint venture partner in
HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited, the Kingdom’s first full service independent investment
bank.
• HSBC Bank Middle East Limited The United Arab Emirates represents a key part of
HSBC Bank Middle East's business, with 16 branches and the firm's head office located
here.
• HSBC Bank Qatar provides a wide range of banking services for both corporate and
individual customers in Qatar. HSBC is the largest foreign bank in Qatar and has five
branches, in Doha Main Office, Al Sadd, West Bay, FTB and Grand Hamad Street as well
as a large network of ATMs at 21 different locations.
• HSBC established an indirect presence in Sub-Saharan Africa in 1981 through Equator
Bank, a joint venture with Nedbank and the bank's executives, and entered the South
African market in 1995 with a representative office. In 2003, HSBC converted the reop
office in Johannesburg to a branch. The Johannesburg branch is now the regional
management office for all of HSBC's Sub-Saharan Africa activities and offers corporate
banking, transaction banking, investment banking, treasury and capital markets services
to HSBC's major multinational clients, large local corporate and financial institutions,
and governments. HSBC Securities (South Africa) offers equities services.
[edit] Global product lines and programmes
[edit] Group Service Centres
HSBC in New York.
As a cost saving measure HSBC is offshoring processing work to lower cost economies in order
to reduce the cost of providing services in developed countries. These locations take on work
such as data processing and customer service, but also internal software engineering at Pune,
Hyderabad (India), Visakahpatnam (India), Kolkota (India), Guangzhou (China), and Curitiba
(Brazil).
Chief Operating Officer Alan Jebson said in March 2005 that he would be very surprised if fewer
than 25,000 people were working in the centres over the next three years: “I don’t have a precise
target but I would be surprised if we had less than 15 (global service centres) in three years’
time.” He went on to say that each centre cost the bank from $20m to $30m to set up, but that for
every job moved the bank saves about $20,000 (£10,400).[47]
Trade unions, particularly in the US and UK, blame these centres for job losses in developed
countries, and also for the effective imposition of wage caps on their members.[47]
Currently centres exist in seven countries, in Brazil in Curitiba, in Czech Republic in Ostrava, in
India in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Pune, in China
in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Colombo (Kotte) (Sri
Lanka) and Manila (Philippines). The Malta trial for a UK high value call centre has resulted in a
growing operation in Malta. An option under consideration is reported to be a processing centre
in Vietnam to access the French skills of the population and therefore cut costs in the bank’s
French operation.
On June 27, 2006, HSBC reported that a "small number" of customers had suffered from fraud
totalling £233,000 after an employee at the Bangalore call centre supplied confidential customer
information to fraudsters.[48]
[edit] HSBC Private Bank
HSBC Private Bank [49] is the group's private banking operation, providing private banking and
trustee services to wealthy individuals and their families worldwide. The Private Bank has in
excess of 60 offices worldwide, with the major centres being Miami, New York, London, Geneva
and Hong Kong.
[edit] HSBC Premier
HSBC Premier[50] is the group's premium financial services product. The exact benefits and
qualification criteria vary depending on country, but typically require deposits and investments
of at least $100,000, £50,000, or €100,000. Alternatively those who have an individual annual
income of at least £100,000 paid into their HSBC Premier Bank Account and are a customer of
the bank's Independent Financial Advisory Service. Customers have a dedicated relationship
manager, global 24 hour access to call centres and preferential rates.
[edit] HSBC Bank International
HSBC Bank International[51] is the offshore banking arm of the HSBC Group, focusing on
providing offshore solutions and cross border services to expatriates and migrants. It provides a
full range of multi-currency personal banking services to a range of customer segments,
including a full internet banking and telephone banking service. Sometimes referred to as
"HSBC Offshore", the business also offers independent financial planning, and has
representative offices all over the world, often working alongside local HSBC operations in those
regions.
HSBC Bank International originated from the business started by Midland Bank and is based in
the Channel Islands with further operations on the Isle of Man. Its operations in the Channel
Islands are centred around its registered headquarters on the seafront in St Helier, Jersey. Named
'HSBC House', the building comprises departments such as Premier, Global Funds &
Investments, e-Business and a 24 hour 'Direct Banking Centre'.
[edit] HSBCnet
HSBCnet[52] is a global service that caters to local business needs by offering specialised
functionality for different regions worldwide.
The system provides access to transaction banking functionality - ranging from payments and
cash management to trade services features - as well as to research and analytical content from
HSBC. It also includes foreign exchange and money markets trading functionality.
The system is used widely by HSBC's high-end corporate and institutional clients served
variously by the bank's global banking and markets, commercial banking and global transaction
banking divisions.
HSBCnet is also the brand under which HSBC markets its global e-commerce proposition to its
corporate and institutional clients.
HFC Bank (UK Operation) is a wholly owned subsidiary, with 135 High Street branches in the
UK selling loans to the "sub-prime" market. During 2007 and 2008, has been trying to fend off a
union recognition campaign by the Trade Union Unite.
[edit] HSBC Direct
HSBC Direct is an online direct banking operation which attracts customers through high-
interest savings accounts and no service charges or minimum account balance requirements. It
was first launched in the USA[53] in November 2005 and is now available in Canada,[54] Taiwan[55]
and South Korea.[56] Poland is launching business direct in September 2009.
[edit] Brand and advertising
The group announced in November 1999 that the HSBC brand and the hexagon symbol would
be adopted as the unified brand in all the markets where HSBC operates, with the aim of
enhancing recognition of the group and its values by customers, shareholders and staff
throughout the world.
[edit] Logo
The hexagon symbol was originally adopted by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation as its logo in 1983. It was developed from the bank’s house flag, a white rectangle
divided diagonally to produce a red hourglass shape. Like many other Hong Kong company flags
that originated in the 19th century, and because of its founder's nationality, the design was based
on the cross of Saint Andrew. The logo was designed by graphic artist Henry Steiner.

The 2004 Jaguar car, being driven by Mark Webber.


[edit] Sponsorship
Having sponsored the Jaguar Racing Formula One team since the days of Stewart Grand Prix,
HSBC ended its relationship with the sport when Red Bull purchased Jaguar Racing from Ford.
HSBC has now switched its focus to golf, taking title sponsorship of events such as the HSBC
World Match Play Championship, HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship (now
defunct), HSBC Champions and HSBC Women's Champions.
In football HSBC sponsors French club AS Monaco and Mexican club C.F. Pachuca, and in
rugby league, HSBC sponsors Telford Raiders in the Rugby League Conference. In Australia,
HSBC sponsors the New South Wales Waratahs rugby team in the Super 14 rugby union
competition, as well as the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
In the United States, HSBC owns the naming rights to the home arena of the National Hockey
League's Buffalo Sabres until 2026.
HSBC’s other sponsorships are mainly in the area of education, health and the environment. In
November 2006, HSBC announced a $5 million partnership with SOS Children as part of Future
First.[57]
HSBC sponsors the Great Canadian Geography Challenge, which has had around 2 million
participants in the past 12 years. Since 2001, HSBC has sponsored the Celebration of Light, an
annual musical fireworks competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In 2007 HSBC
announced it would be a sponsor of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and
Calgary Flames. HSBC has also sponsored a professional gaming team that was disbanded late
2007.
HSBC sponsored the 2009 British and Irish Lions Rugby Union tour of South Africa.[58]
HSBC is the official banking partner of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, providing
banking facilities on site and renaming the Road to Wimbledon junior event, as The HSBC Road
to Wimbledon National 14 and Under Challenge.[59]
[edit] Customer groups
HSBC splits its business into four distinct groups:
[edit] Personal financial services
HSBC provides more than 100 million customers worldwide with a full range of personal
financial services, including current and savings accounts, mortgage loans, car financing,
insurance, credit cards, loans, pensions and investments.
[edit] Commercial banking
HSBC provides financial services to small, medium-sized and middle-market enterprises. The
group has almost 2.5 million of such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs
and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies.
[edit] Global banking and markets
This customer group provides tailored financial services to corporate and institutional customers.
Business lines comprise Global Banking, Global Markets, Global Asset Management, Global
Research and Principal Investments.
This division was previously known as Corporate, Investment Banking and Markets.
[edit] Private banking
Main article: HSBC Private Bank
HSBC Private Bank is the marketing name for the private banking business conducted by the
principal private banking subsidiaries of the HSBC Group worldwide. HSBC Private Bank,
together with the private banking activities of HSBC Trinkaus, known collectively as Group
Private Banking, provides services to high net worth individuals and their families through 93
locations in some 42 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas,
the Middle East and Africa. As of December 2007, profits before tax were US$1,511 million and
combined client assets under management were US$494 billion.
In September 2008, HSBC announced that it would combine its two Swiss private banks under
one brand name in 2009, with HSBC Guyerzeller and HSBC Private Bank to be merged into one
legal entity, under the newly appointed CEO of HSBC Private Bank, Alexandre Zeller.[60]

CASH MANAGEMENT AT HSBC


As a global financial institution, HSBC provides you with superior ability to effect transactions
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to help you realise benefits such as:
• Effective cash flow management
• Minimised costs and reduced operating expenses
• Maximised returns and interest benefits
• Enhanced risk management
• Improved security and audit controls

Cash Management
Integrated Payment Solutions
With HSBC's Integrated Payment Solutions (IPS) we offer you an opportunity to
outsource your entire payables process, from generating and initiating payment instructions,
executing them, dispatching them, reconciling payments, account statements and physical/e-
advising of your payments to yourself and your beneficiaries.

Integrated Receivables Solutions (IRS)

HSBC's Integrated Receivables Solutions (IRS) offers you an opportunity to outsource


your receivables process, from picking up cheques from your customers, usage of strong
logistics management and correspondent bank relationships for faster processing and clearance
of your receivables to world-class systems and processes to allow you to have a complete control
over your cash flows and receivables.

HSBCnet

HSBCnet provides online access to a suite of global markets, research, cash


management, securities, trade and commercial banking services presented in a format that can be
personalised to meet your needs.

HSBC Bulk Disbursement Solution

HSBC Bulk Disbursement Solution with dedicated operations services team are in a
position to execute your bulk payments requirement like dividend distribution in a smooth and
seamless manner.

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