Interim Report - 2 of 24

RNS Number : 1979X

HSBC Holdings PLC

26 August 2015

 



We are continuing to invest to capture the opportunities which are arising from changing trade and investment flows and from the clear momentum in greater customer adoption of mobile and digital banking. In the continuing low interest rate environment, it is essential we build these incremental revenues and use technology and process improvement to generate further cost savings to offset the growing expenditure needed to embed regulatory changes and provide greater assurance over financial crime risks. These factors provided much of the context to our Investor Update in June, when Stuart Gulliver and his senior management team laid out very clearly the priorities and objectives being set to build sustainable value for you, our shareholders.

Pre-tax profits in the first six months of 2015 on a reported basis of $13.6bn were 10% higher than those delivered in the first half of 2014. On the adjusted basis, which is one of the key metrics used by the Board to assess current management performance, pre-tax profits were 2% better at $13.0bn, with the difference explained by the reconciliations on pages 50 to 55. Earnings per share were $0.48, providing more than twice cover for the first two interim dividends per ordinary share in respect of 2015 amounting to $0.20 in aggregate (2014: $0.50 and $0.20, respectively).

The Group's capital position remains strong, benefiting from a higher than normal scrip dividend take-up in the period and from actions taken to manage down risk-weighted assets. At 30 June 2015, our end point common equity tier 1 ratio stood at 11.6% compared with 11.1% at the beginning of the year and 11.3% a year ago.

In the following pages, Stuart Gulliver, in his 'Group Chief Executive's Review' reflects on the key drivers of first half performance and summarises the actions presented in the Investor Update which underpin the Group's target to deliver a return on equity in excess of 10% by the end of 2017.

Board oversight of management is now tightly focused on the delivery of the actions set out in this plan and management performance scorecards have been adjusted to reflect this. Initial progress is encouraging with the highlight clearly being the agreement reached for the sale of our Brazilian operations. I want to underscore three points which are crucial to achieving what is a challenging set of objectives.

An ever more connected world needs international banking and within this, a diversified universal banking model promotes revenue synergies and resilience.

What drives HSBC's rating as one of the two most systemically important banks in the world is the extent to which we do business outside the country from which we are regulated on a consolidated basis; we see this as a strength in a globalised world. As many banks shrink to domestic or regional bases, our international network and product capabilities are demonstrating significant competitive advantages as we pick up cross-border business. This was the key message from our Investor Update and, as Stuart illustrates in his review, the depth and breadth of the network are creating value in terms of revenue growth. In the first half of this year, transaction banking, which captures trade and investment flows, grew revenues by 8%. Further collaboration between our global businesses drove revenue synergies by 6%.

Nothing illustrates the importance of trade corridors better than the focus of China on its 'One Belt, One Road' initiative. This, together with the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, led by China but now with 57 founding member states, is planned to create opportunities for infrastructure investment coupled with green technology on a massive global scale. HSBC's presence along the trade corridor, as well as at both ends, places it in a strong position to partner with participating firms. As investment grows, this will also accelerate the use of the renminbi as a global currency, an area where HSBC is the leading international bank.

The current period also illustrates convincingly the benefits of our international universal banking model and the revenue synergies noted above. A few examples will illustrate the point.

While eurozone anxieties over Greece dampened trade flows and falls in commodity prices led to a lower value of commodity related trade finance, the resultant volatility in foreign exchange led to a greater volume of activity through our dealing rooms. Although equity flows into emerging markets retreated, equity volumes in Hong Kong and mainland China expanded markedly

with the Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect system surpassing all expectations in terms of flows in both directions. As a result, HSBC's Wealth Management revenues in Hong Kong from equities, mutual funds and asset management increased significantly.

Finally and importantly, the significant progress made in resolution planning, both by international and national regulatory bodies and by firms themselves, means that the contingent risk to home country taxpayers from international business activities has markedly reduced. This should allow international firms like HSBC to grow faster than the economies that host them without undue concerns being raised.

Technology is changing the shape of banking at a rapid pace

There is no doubt that banking is in a period of fundamental change as a consequence of technological developments that, firstly, allow storage and analysis of an almost unlimited amount of data and, secondly, allow customers to directly access third party providers when transacting or investing.

The opportunities are exciting; the risks are not insignificant.

The benefits to customers and society are potentially substantial. Better use of data will allow more accurate knowledge about the customer to be built, leading to improved customer segmentation and therefore less risk of mis-selling in the future. The same data, together with transaction monitoring, will enhance our ability to identify bad actors within the system, so reducing financial crime. A lower cost of delivery will flow through to lower intermediation costs for customers and allow banking services to reach communities currently under-served.

The nature, scale and pace of change do, however, pose a number of public policy questions still under review as well as highlighting new risks to financial stability that need to be addressed. The sheer scale of data to be collected and stored demands clarity over responsibility for data security and transparency over who has access to that data and for what purpose. Customers need to understand the value of their data so that they can assess the bargain that is being offered by non-traditional providers in return for their financial footprint. Customers also need to know in a disaggregated service model to whom they should complain if a transaction goes awry. Finally, ever larger digital databases of financial credentials and transaction data will need best-in-class protection from cyber crime. This will require even greater co-operation between the industry and public sector law enforcement and intelligence services than exists today.

Restoring trust is essential

One of the most encouraging observations in the first half of 2015 was the growing emphasis in public policy and regulatory consultations and proposals on looking forwards not back. Much of the focus was on setting clarity over the behaviours expected of individuals within our industry and of those charged with supervising or providing governance over their activities.

We welcomed the 'Fair and Effective Markets Review' conducted jointly by the Bank of England, HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority to reinforce confidence in wholesale markets in light of the serious misconduct evidenced in recent years. The consequential creation of an FICC Markets Standards Board to sit alongside the Banking Standards Board which came into being in April is a further contribution to creating a framework capable of reassuring market participants of the integrity of financial markets.

The focus of both these bodies, together with the Senior Managers Regime which comes into force next year, is to stress personal accountability for conduct within markets and in relation to consumers of financial products. Recent instances of misconduct have highlighted the inadequacy of legal and regulatory frameworks to attach appropriate sanctions in a timely way to responsible individuals, leaving shareholders to bear the burden of penalties imposed on the employing institutions, in many cases long after the events in question occurred and where the evidence is either insufficient or too dated to pursue the individuals concerned. This is not a sustainable or a desirable model.

We absolutely concur, therefore, with this emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability. It is essential that regulatory governance in this area is seen to be transparent, fair and proportionate. However, the potential benefits are significant and we believe that if the clarity intended from the greater focus being given through these initiatives to expected behaviours is achieved, then this, together with the discipline derived from the greater incidence of deferred remuneration, will greatly enhance the prospects for the restoration of trust.

That restoration of trust will of course only be earned over time by the actions of firms being increasingly recognised by market participants and consumers as appropriate to the circumstances, balancing the interests of the firm with those of the customer.

Again actions speak louder than words. By way of example, in the first half of 2015, measures taken to assist customers in the UK to manage their financial affairs better delivered improved outcomes for customers and reduced a source of recurring frustration. These actions formed part of a comprehensive review of value exchange within RBWM conducted over the past year. As a consequence overdraft fees in the UK fell by some $88m, reflecting lower pricing and fewer instances of unauthorised overdrawn accounts, which was prompted by a new policy of text messaging when customers approached their agreed limits.

Three other areas are worthy of comment.

Progress on Global Standards and regulatory change

We are now firmly in the second phase of the Global Standards initiative, moving from design to implementation and assurance. Virtually all of the recommendations in the Monitor's initial report have now been actioned with those remaining not due until later this year. Further recommendations for improvement, as they arise from the Monitor's update reviews, regular regulatory examinations and the work of our own internal audit function, will continue to be incorporated as they arise. Similarly, in the area of regulatory change the focus is now firmly on embedding the changes now finalised.

The global functions and our operations and technology teams continued to add resources to meet the demands of the Global Standards programme and of continuing regulatory change. In the first half of 2015, the Group's headcount increased by some 2,200. Reflecting the prioritisation being given to the above programmes, more than this number were in fact recruited into Compliance, principally in Financial Crime Compliance and to address the regulatory change programmes. As systems are upgraded we should realise planned productivity improvements to release resources currently allocated to manual processes and parallel working.

The above comments illustrate how the cost dynamics of our business model are clearly changing, and we are challenging afresh the sustainability of some of our smaller operations in light of the cost burdens they are now facing. This analysis, as was highlighted in the Investor Update, will inform some further streamlining of our geographical footprint over the next few years.

UK ring-fencing

During the period, the business design of the ring-fenced bank was settled and Birmingham was chosen as its headquarters location. A new HQ building is being constructed which will be available in 2018. Both the ring‑fenced bank and the remaining activities outside the ring fence will be served by a new service company which will host shared infrastructure and employees. 22,000 UK employees of our UK bank will migrate to this new employer by the end of this year.

Review of headquarters location

Following the announcement at the Annual General Meeting that we would embark upon a review of the optimal location for our global headquarters, detailed work has commenced in line with the criteria laid out in the June Investor Update. It remains the Board's intention to conclude the review by the end of this year.

Board changes

Since the AGM we have announced two new members of the Board.

Irene Lee brings to the Board considerable banking experience and knowledge of Asia and joined the Board on 1 July, having served as a non-executive Director of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and of Hang Seng Bank Limited since 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Irene is currently Executive Chairman of Hysan Development Company Limited and a non-executive director of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, China Light & Power Holdings Limited and Noble Group Limited. She has over 30 years of finance industry experience, having held senior positions in investment banking and fund management in the UK, USA and Australia with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, SealCorp Holdings Limited and Citibank.

Pauline van der Meer Mohr brings to the Board considerable legal and human resources experience and will join the Board on 1 September. Pauline is currently president of the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam, a role which she has held since 2010. Pauline began her career in the legal profession and held several legal and management positions with the Royal Dutch Shell Group from 1989 to 2004, rising to become HR Director, Information Technology. In 2004, she was appointed group human resources director at TNT NV before moving to become senior executive vice president and head of group human resources at ABN AMRO Bank NV in 2006. Pauline also served as a member of the Dutch Banking Code Monitoring Commission, which was aimed at restoring trust in the Dutch banking sector.

Looking forward

The environment for banking remains challenging. As Stuart points out in his review, economic conditions remain uncertain in many parts of the world, in particular in the eurozone and in China. On top of this, geopolitical risks are heightened. Regulatory workloads have never been higher as we embed structural change, build systems to
respond to demands for greater transparency, and augment stress testing models and reinforce business continuity design as part of recovery and resolution planning. Technology is empowering disruptive business models and facilitating new entrants whilst also offering good opportunities to improve efficiency and build better customer propositions. Responsibilities to protect the financial system from bad actors and from cyber threats are expanding at the same time as concerns are raised over risks of consequential financial exclusion.

Yet there are also observable mega-trends supportive of financial system growth. Growing urbanisation across Asia, infrastructure development in both emerging and developed markets, investment in new technology to address environmental efficiency and the development of capital market solutions to add fresh financing capabilities and contribute to the financial needs of an ageing population all have positive implications for the role and profitability of the financial system. Additionally, central banks remain determined to maintain a policy environment that facilitates the resumption of sustainable economic growth.

As set out by Stuart in the June Investor Update, our positioning across the major trade and investment corridors of the world is a privileged position from which to plan our future. We have the financial strength and the right people at all levels of the firm to make the most of the opportunities open to us. We look forward to reporting on progress.

D J Flint

Group Chairman

3 August 2015

In June we announced a series of strategic actions to capture the value of our international network in a much changed world. These actions are designed to maximise revenue, significantly reduce our operating expenses and meet our obligations regarding the structure of the Group.

We are executing these plans and have significant momentum moving into the second half of the year.

First half of 2015

Reported profit before tax was $13.6bn, 10% higher than for the equivalent period in 2014.

Adjusted pre-tax profit, which excludes the period-on-period effects of currency translation differences and significant items, was $13.0bn, 2% higher than in the first half of 2014. This reflected growth in revenue and lower loan impairment charges, partially offset by increased costs.

Global Banking and Markets maintained its good start to the year, especially in our client-facing Markets businesses. Equities and Foreign Exchange were the main drivers of revenue growth.

Commercial Banking revenue continued to grow, particularly in Hong Kong and the UK.

Principal Retail Banking & Wealth Management generated increased revenue following a strong performance in our Wealth Management business in Asia.

There was a 6% increase in revenue arising from cross-selling between our global businesses, demonstrating the strength of our universal banking model.

Loan impairment charges continued to fall, driven particularly by reductions in North America and Latin America.

Operating expenses increased, although they were broadly flat relative to the second half of 2014, excluding the effect of the UK bank levy.

The common equity tier 1 ratio on a CRD IV end point basis was 11.6%.

Annualised return on equity was 10.6%, exceeding our target of 10%.

Maximising value from our international network

We continue to invest in the strategic product areas that benefit most from our international network. The positive impact of this investment was again apparent in the first half of the year.

Foreign Exchange revenue grew by 21% compared with the first half of 2014 and Payments and Cash Management revenue increased by 4%.

Global Trade & Receivables Finance continued to grow, and HSBC was named 'Best Trade Bank in the World', 'Best Trade Bank in Asia Pacific' and 'Best Trade Bank in the Middle East' in the Trade and Forfaiting Review Excellence Awards 2015.

We maintained our leadership position in international renminbi services, growing revenue by 9% compared with the first half of 2014. HSBC also received the Asiamoney 'Best Overall Offshore RMB Products and Services' award for the fourth year in a row.

In FinanceAsia's International Banking Awards 2015, HSBC was the winner of the 'Best Foreign Bank' awards for China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. HSBC was also named Best Bank in Hong Kong for the 12th consecutive year.

Investor Update

Our Annual Report and Accounts 2014 outlined some of the considerable changes to our operating environment that have occurred since 2011. In response to these changes the Board set a new Group target of a return on equity of more than 10% by the end of 2017.

At our Investor Update in June, we set out the actions that will enable us to meet this goal.

We intend to:

·   reduce risk-weighted assets across the Group by at least 25%, redeploy some of these risk-weighted assets towards higher performing businesses and return Global Banking and Markets to Group target profitability;

·   sell underperforming operations in Turkey and Brazil, and keep our network under review using our six‑filter process;

·   exploit the strategic opportunity in the region covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement to rebuild profitability in Mexico and deliver satisfactory returns in the US;

·   set up a UK ring-fenced bank by 2018;

·   realise $4.5-5.0bn in cost savings and return operating expenses to 2014 levels by the end of 2017;

·   deliver revenue growth greater than GDP growth from our international network;

·   capture growth opportunities in Asia, including in China's Pearl River Delta and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in our Asset Management and Insurance businesses;

·   generate $2.0-2.5bn revenue from our global leadership position in business arising from the internationalisation of the Chinese currency, the renminbi; and

·   complete the implementation of Global Standards, our globally consistent and rigorous financial crime controls.

Delivering these actions will create value for our customers and shareholders, and enable us to meet global standards while driving business success. It will also help us to continue to adapt to the structural changes that are asked of us by regulators and legislators.

Meeting our targets

We will update shareholders on progress in executing these actions every quarter, beginning with our third quarter results in November. Delivery is our number one priority.

Work is proceeding on all of our actions, in particular those aimed at reducing risk-weighted assets ('RWAs'), cutting costs and turning around or disposing of underperforming parts of the business.

Reducing RWAs will be a gradual process, but we have made a good start in the first half of the year. We reduced RWAs by $50bn, largely through asset sales in the Global Banking and Markets legacy book, the sale of part of our shareholding in Industrial Bank, and more detailed mapping within RWA calculations and improved recognition of collateral. We have redeployed $30bn RWAs into higher returning areas. I am confident that we will continue to make significant progress on this in the remainder of 2015.

Over the next two years we will continue to build our capital base and redeploy some of the RWAs that we take out of the business in line with the priorities we outlined in June.

Although we are aiming to 'pivot' our business towards profitable growth opportunities in Asia, Asia is not the exclusive focus of reinvestment. In order to maintain broad-based growth and a diversified risk profile, we expect around half of incremental RWAs to be redeployed to Asia, with the rest spread across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, North America and Mexico. If we cannot find strategic opportunities to deploy capital with a return on equity above 10% we will return the capital to shareholders, subject to regulatory approval.

We have commenced our work to reduce costs and expect to be able to demonstrate tangible progress in the coming quarters. Fulfilling these actions will also entail a number of one-off transformation costs, some of which will be incurred during the second half
of 2015. We expect the largest portion of these costs to fall in 2016.

On 31 July we agreed to sell our Brazil business to Banco Bradesco S.A. for $5.2bn. As we said at our Investor Update, we plan to maintain a modest corporate banking presence in Brazil to serve our international clients in the country. This transaction delivers excellent value for shareholders and represents significant delivery against the actions we outlined in June.

Summary and outlook

We are hopeful for a modest improvement in the world economy in the second half of the year. More accommodating monetary conditions should help the mainland Chinese economy to stabilise after first half challenges. US economic growth is also likely to accelerate. Thanks to lower oil prices, real incomes are rising across much of the eurozone and in the UK. Key uncertainties include the pace of recovery in capital spending, the timing of any US monetary tightening and ongoing challenges in the eurozone.

Our performance in July was satisfactory. Our focus is on making significant progress in executing our strategic actions during the remainder of the year.

S T Gulliver

Group Chief Executive

3 August 2015

 

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