Core Viewpoint - The recent statement by President Trump linking tariffs to the purchase of Greenland has escalated tensions between the U.S. and its European allies, marking a significant shift from traditional trade negotiations to geopolitical coercion [1][2]. Group 1: Tariff Implications - Trump announced a 10% tariff on goods exported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland starting February 1, until an agreement on the "complete and total purchase of Greenland" is reached [1]. - HSBC noted that this represents a major escalation, as tariffs are now being used as a tool for territorial negotiations rather than just trade discussions [2]. Group 2: European Response - European leaders, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, have condemned the tariffs, warning of potential damage to transatlantic relations [6]. - There is a serious discussion within Europe about potential countermeasures, including the suspension of a previously negotiated EU-U.S. trade agreement and the implementation of reciprocal tariffs [6][7]. Group 3: Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) - The EU is considering activating the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), designed to counter economic coercion from third countries, which could involve a range of non-tariff measures [7][8]. - The initiation of ACI signals a shift in strategy, moving beyond simple tariff retaliation to a broader consideration of capital and regulatory responses [8]. Group 4: Economic Impact - Goldman Sachs estimates that a 10% tariff could reduce the GDP of affected countries by approximately 0.1% to 0.2%, with Germany facing a larger impact [9]. - The potential for tariffs to rise to 25% could increase the GDP impact to 0.25% to 0.5% [9]. Group 5: Market Uncertainty - The primary concern for markets is not the immediate tariff changes but the resurgence of trade and geopolitical uncertainty, which could lead to increased risk premiums and volatility in asset pricing [12]. - Geopolitical risk premiums are already being factored into asset prices, with the euro declining against the dollar and increased volatility expected as deadlines approach [12].

Core Viewpoint - WeLab, a Hong Kong fintech company, has completed a $220 million financing round, marking its largest funding to date [1] Group 1: Financing Details - The financing round includes both equity and debt financing [1] - Investors in this round include HSBC, Prudential Hong Kong, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), a Hong Kong investment company, Allianz X, and TOM Group [1] Group 2: Use of Funds - WeLab plans to use the funds to expand into the Southeast Asian market and for acquisitions [1] Group 3: Company Background - WeLab is a member of the Hong Kong Web3.0 Association and operates WeLab Bank, which received a virtual banking license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in 2019 [1] - WeLab Bank is also a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) [1]

Group 1 - Major blue-chip stocks mostly declined, with HSBC Holdings closing at HKD 128.695, up 0.15% from the previous close in Hong Kong; Tencent Holdings closed at HKD 612.833, down 0.76% [2] - Tencent Holdings reported a latest price of HKD 617.500, with a decrease of HKD 4.500 or 0.72%; its ADR price is HKD 612.833, reflecting a decline of HKD 4.667 [3] - HSBC Holdings had a latest price of HKD 128.500, increasing by HKD 0.300 or 0.23%; its ADR price is HKD 128.695, showing a slight increase of HKD 0.195 [3] Group 2 - Other notable stocks include China Construction Bank at HKD 7.830, down 0.25%, and Xiaomi Group at HKD 37.100, down 2.01% [3] - AIA Group saw a decline of HKD 1.300 or 1.53%, closing at HKD 83.550; its ADR price is HKD 83.075, down HKD 0.475 [3] - Meituan-W closed at HKD 100.000, down 0.79%, while JD.com saw a decrease of HKD 1.500 or 1.30%, closing at HKD 113.600 [3]

Group 1 - HSBC is conducting a strategic review of its insurance business in Singapore [1] - The review is part of HSBC's initiative to simplify its global operations [1]

HSBC Holdings plc 滙豐控股有限公司 為確保及時收到最新的公司通訊及可供採取行動的公司通訊*，本公司建議閣下掃描隨附回條（「回條」）上之專屬二維 碼，或填妥、簽署回條並交回本公司的香港股份登記處（「股份登記處」）香港中央證券登記有限公司，地址為香港灣仔 皇后大道東 183 號合和中心 17M 樓，以提供閣下的電子郵件地址。 如本公司於 2026 年 2 月 16 日之前尚未收到閣下以電子方式提交或已填妥並簽署之回條或表示反對之任何書面回覆，直 至股份登記處收到閣下的通知前，閣下將被視為已同意瀏覽本公司所有未來公司通訊之網上版本，而本公司日後將向閣 下發送已在本公司網站上載公司通訊之通知。 如閣下選擇接收日後公司通訊的網上版本，閣下需要提供電郵地址，以便接收(i)當公司通訊上載至本公司網站時有關公 司網站發布相關公司通訊的電郵通知，以及(ii)本公司日後以電子形式發布的所有可供採取行動的公司通訊*。 如閣下沒有提供有效且可用的電郵地址，或閣下被視為已同意接收日後公司通訊的網上版本，本公司將根據股份登記處 存置的香港股東分冊上所示的地址透過郵寄方式向閣下發送(i)在本公司網站上發布公司通訊的通知函 ...

Core Viewpoint - HSBC is exploring various options for its Singapore insurance business, including a potential sale, as part of a global business restructuring led by CEO Georges Elhedery [1] Group 1: Business Restructuring - The restructuring initiative is being led by CEO Georges Elhedery [1] - HSBC is currently evaluating HSBC Life (Singapore) Private Limited, with a potential valuation exceeding $1 billion [1] Group 2: Current Status - The consideration of options for the insurance business is still in the preliminary stages, and no final decision has been made [1] - A representative from HSBC declined to comment on market speculation regarding the potential sale [1]

Group 1 - HSBC Holdings is exploring multiple options for its Singapore insurance business, including a potential sale, as part of a broader business restructuring led by CEO Georges Elhedery [3][4] - The valuation of HSBC Life Insurance (Singapore) Private Limited may exceed $1 billion, with several insurance companies and investment firms expressing initial interest [3] - The assessment of the insurance business is still in the early stages, and HSBC has not made a final decision [4] Group 2 - HSBC's insurance operations in Singapore include life insurance, critical illness insurance, savings insurance, personal accident insurance, and health insurance, which have been expanded through acquisitions [4] - In 2022, HSBC acquired 100% of AXA Insurance Pte Limited for $575 million, which was Singapore's eighth-largest life insurance company at the time [4] - The restructuring led by Elhedery is the largest in over a decade, reorganizing HSBC into four departments and cutting certain business lines [4]

Core Viewpoint - In a low-interest-rate environment, bank stocks are seen as representatives of dividend style investments, offering medium to long-term allocation value due to their high dividend characteristics [1] Group 1: Bank Indices Performance - The main bank indices in A-share and Hong Kong markets include the China Securities Bank Index, the China Securities Hong Kong Bank Index, and the China Securities AH Bank Index [2] - The China Securities Hong Kong Bank Index is expected to significantly outperform the China Securities Bank Index in 2025 [3] - From January 1 to December 31, 2025, the Hong Kong Bank Index recorded a growth of 28.94%, which is substantially higher than the 6.79% increase of the China Securities Bank Index and the 9.60% of the AH Bank Index [4] Group 2: Investment Trends and Fund Flows - In Q3 2025, the Hong Kong banking sector saw significant buying from insurance capital, while the A-share banking sector experienced substantial selling by public funds [10] - The proportion of active equity funds' holdings in A-share banks dropped from 3.91% to 1.49%, with the market value decreasing from 64.1 billion yuan to 30.8 billion yuan [10] - In contrast, insurance capital made 41 significant investments in banks throughout 2025, with 33 of these targeting H-share banks [10] Group 3: Stock Performance and Dividend Yields - The strong performance of the Hong Kong Bank Index is attributed to the notable gains of key stocks such as HSBC Holdings, which rose by 25.53%, and Standard Chartered, which increased by 30.66% [11] - The dividend yield for Hong Kong banks remains above 6%, making them attractive to insurance capital, while A-share banks generally have yields between 3% and 4% [13] - Historical data indicates that buying bank stocks before the Spring Festival has an 80% success rate, with quality joint-stock banks and city commercial banks often yielding excess returns [13] Group 4: Future Outlook - Looking ahead to 2026, insurance capital is expected to remain a significant source of funding, but bank stocks may underperform the broader market in the first quarter due to a growth-oriented market style [15] - The return on tangible equity (ROTE) for Hong Kong banks is projected to slightly decline in 2026, yet the combined return from dividends and buybacks is still expected to exceed 7%, maintaining their investment appeal [15]

Market - US stock market experienced a decline for the second consecutive day, with the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all falling, primarily driven by poor performance in technology stocks, particularly chip stocks like Nvidia, which dropped due to export restrictions [2] - Bank stocks also struggled, with Wells Fargo's revenue falling short of expectations, while Bank of America and Citigroup exceeded expectations but could not support the high market levels. The banking sector faced additional pressure from Trump's call for credit card interest rate reforms [2] - Despite strong PPI and retail sales data, the market remained low due to concerns over the independence of the Federal Reserve and rising geopolitical risks, particularly related to Iran [2] Company - Tesla announced it will stop selling its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software at a fixed price and will instead offer it as a monthly subscription service starting at $99, leading to a 1.79% drop in its stock price [3][33] - Cerebras secured a significant contract with OpenAI worth over $10 billion, committing to provide 750 MW of computing power by 2028, which will help reduce its reliance on a single customer [32] - Wells Fargo reported profits below expectations, with a significant $612 million spent on severance costs, leading to its stock experiencing the largest intraday drop in six months [40] - Bank of America reported a 23% increase in stock trading revenue to $2.02 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, but concerns over costs led to a 5% drop in its stock price [41] - Boeing announced it received 1,173 net orders in 2025, surpassing Airbus, although its stock fell 1.7% in early trading [42]

Market Overview - The Hang Seng Index (HSI) closed at 26,783.18, down by 216.63 points or 0.80% as of January 14, 16:00 Eastern Time [1] - The index reached a high of 26,918.58 and a low of 26,724.89 during the trading session, with a trading volume of 82.41 million [1] Major Blue-Chip Stocks Performance - HSBC Holdings closed at HKD 127.501, up by 0.39% compared to the Hong Kong close [2] - Tencent Holdings closed at HKD 632.594, down by 0.06% compared to the Hong Kong close [2] Stock Price Movements - Tencent Holdings (00700) latest price is HKD 633.000, with an increase of HKD 5.500 or 0.88%, but its ADR price is HKD 632.594, showing a decrease of HKD 0.406 [3] - Alibaba Group (09988) latest price is HKD 169.000, up by HKD 9.100 or 5.69%, with an ADR price of HKD 165.595, down by HKD 3.405 [3] - HSBC Holdings (00005) latest price is HKD 127.000, up by HKD 0.600 or 0.47%, with an ADR price of HKD 127.501, up by HKD 0.501 [3] - Other notable movements include Meituan (03690) down by 3.24% and Ctrip Group (09961) down by 6.49% [3]