Trading on Paris S.E.

HSBC Hldgs PLC
28 July 2000


             HSBC SHARES START TRADING ON THE
                  PARIS STOCK EXCHANGE

HSBC Holdings plc US$0.50 ordinary shares began trading on
the Paris Stock Exchange today, under the trading symbol
'HSB'. The new listing complements HSBC's existing share
listings in London and Hong Kong, and also in New York where
its shares trade as American Depositary Receipts.

Sir John Bond, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc, said:
'We are very happy to offer those CCF shareholders who
accepted the share offer the ability to trade HSBC shares
in Paris, giving them access to an efficient market
priced in euros. We believe this euro trading facility
will also interest and benefit other European
shareholders.'

The listing of HSBC shares on the Paris Stock Exchange
follows the successful completion of HSBC's Offer for Credit
Commercial de France (CCF) with HSBC holding a total of 98.6
per cent of CCF's issued share capital. The Offer, which was
recommended unanimously by the Board of CCF on 1 April 2000,
comprised the Cash Offer at a price of EUR150 per CCF share
or, as an alternative, the Share Offer of 13 ordinary shares
of HSBC for each CCF share.