Holding(s) in Company

HSBC Holdings PLC
03 November 2004

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

Section 198 - Companies Act 1985

The Company was notified yesterday that Barclays PLC, had a notifiable interest
as at 29 October 2004 in 335,224,959 ordinary shares of US$0.50 each in HSBC
Holdings plc, representing approximately 3.00% of the ordinary shares in issue.


A copy of the letter of notification, including a list of the registered holders
of the shares where known, is quoted below.

N S Black

Assistant Secretary

HSBC Holdings plc



Letter to HSBC Holdings plc from Geoff Smith, Manager, Secretarial Services,
Group Corporate Secretariat, Barclays PLC

"Dear Sir

Companies Act 1985 ("The Act") - Part VI

I hereby inform you that as at 29 October 2004 Barclays PLC, through the legal
entities listed on the attached schedule, has a notifiable interest in the
capital of your Company of 3.00%.

Details of this interest, together with a breakdown between registered holders
(as required by Section 202(3) of the Act), are enclosed.

The issued capital of 11,167,184,796 is the latest figure available to us. If
this is incorrect please let me know.

If you have any questions arising from this letter, please contact me on 020
7699 2305.

Yours faithfully

Geoff Smith
Manager, Secretarial Services

Enc."

                       REGISTERED HOLDERS REPORT
     HSBC HLDGS                                                   SEDOL: 0540528

As at 29 October 2004 Barclays PLC, through the registered holders listed below,
had a notifiable interest in 335,224,959 ORD USD0.50(UK REG) representing 3.00%
of the issued share capital of 11,163,834,355 units.

Registered Holder                                                      Holding

Bank of Ireland                                                      1,991,779
Barclays Capital Nominees Limited                                    2,094,910
Barclays Capital Securities Limited                                  3,000,000
Barclays Trust Co & Others                                              19,212
Barclays Trust Co AS EXEC/ADM                                            5,255
Barclays Trust Co DMC69                                                 35,300
Barclays Trust Co E99                                                   25,646
Barclays Trust Co R69                                                  196,668
BNP Paribas                                                            586,908
Chase Nominees Ltd                                                  53,157,018
CIBC Mellon Global Securities                                          209,472
Clydesdale Nominees (various accounts)                                 661,529
Investors Bank and Trust Co.                                       121,774,268
JP Morgan (BGI Custody) (various accounts)                         110,948,095
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                                 16,677,538
Master Trust Bank                                                       65,765
Mellon Trust - Boston & SF                                           2,506,495
Mellon Trust of New England                                          1,129,087
Mitsubishi Trust International                                         116,967
Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA                                       2,739,830
R C Greig Nominees Limited (various accounts)                        2,157,389
Reflex Nominees Limited                                                 20,823
State Street                                                           204,555
State Street Boston                                                 10,993,260
Sumitomo TB                                                             25,712
Wells Fargo Seattle - Wire Ban                                         208,253
Zeban Nominees Limited                                               3,673,225

Total                                                              335,224,959



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange        LUUGUUGUPCGMW