Group 1 - HSBC has raised its average gold price forecast for 2026 to $3,125 per ounce, up from the previous forecast of $2,915 per ounce [1]

Group 1 - Global trade growth is expected to slow down, with a projected increase of only 1.8% in 2025, while global economic growth may decelerate to 2.5% [1] - China's economy remains resilient, with GDP growth expected to exceed 5% in the first half of 2025, supported by ongoing macroeconomic policies [3] - The increase in tariffs is anticipated to have a negative impact on trade in the short term, leading to a restructuring of industrial chains and changes in trade and investment flows in the long term [4] Group 2 - China's position as the largest exporter is maintained, with a projected 14.6% share of global exports in 2024, while the U.S. remains the largest importer with a 13.6% share [4] - The largest export destination for China has shifted from the U.S. to ASEAN, and Mexico has become the largest source of imports for the U.S. [4] - Chinese manufacturing is undergoing a value chain upgrade, with an increasing proportion of capital goods and intermediate goods in exports, indicating a trend towards higher value-added production [4]

Core Viewpoint - HSBC Holdings Plc's subsidiary, HSBC Continental Europe, has agreed to sell its custody operations in Germany to BNP Paribas as part of its simplification strategy to focus on being a leading corporate and institutional bank in Germany and Europe for international clients [1][10] Group 1: Details of the Transaction - The custody business in Germany provides domestic custody, clearing, and depository services for German institutional clients [2] - The financial terms of the agreement are undisclosed, but it involves the complete transfer of custody operations, including all assets and related clients, to BNP Paribas, with a phased execution starting in early 2026 [3][4] - The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals, as well as negotiations with the Works Council in Germany [4] Group 2: Strategic Alignment - The divestiture aligns with HSBC's simplification strategy announced in October 2024, which includes winding down investment banking activities in the UK, Europe, and the US, and divesting from its French life insurance arm and private banking business in Germany [5] - HSBC has also sold its business in South Africa and completed sales in various countries including the US, Canada, and New Zealand in recent years [6][7] Group 3: Financial Impact - HSBC aims to achieve $1.5 billion in annualized savings by the end of 2026 through these divestitures and cost realignment efforts, with expected upfront charges of nearly $1.8 billion [8] - The bank plans to reallocate an additional nearly $1.5 billion of costs from non-strategic activities to priority growth areas over the medium term [8] Group 4: Market Performance - Over the past year, HSBC shares have increased by 38.2%, outperforming the industry's growth of 32.2% [9]

Business Focus - The firm is focused on two main businesses: corporate and institutional banking, and wealth and private banking, assisting clients with international needs [3] - The firm banks 90% of the Fortune 100 companies [3] - The firm also supports innovation economy startups, including 1,200 innovation clients globally across five core markets, acquired through SVB two years ago [4] Geopolitical Uncertainty and Trade - The firm helps clients navigate geopolitical uncertainty, including trade tariffs, currency hedging, and supply chain repositioning [2] - The firm sees increased global trade volumes despite challenges, with clients cautiously optimistic [5] - US import duties with a 10% baseline tariff will be challenging for some American companies [5] - Trade is not expected to collapse; instead, different corridors and cost equations may emerge, managed through innovation [9] Currency and Payments - The firm's payments business processed 550 trillion in payments across 130 currencies last year, assisting clients with hedging [8] - Currency hedging is increasing as clients seek agility, especially with the dollar at a three-year low [7][8] Strategic Responses to Cost Impact - Companies may respond to cost impacts by passing them on to consumers, absorbing them in margin, or negotiating with suppliers [7] Growth Corridors - The firm is helping clients navigate new growth corridors, with significant volume between the US and UK, US and India (up 22% last year), and US and Middle East [6] Client Sentiment - Approximately 93% of the clients in the US are optimistic overall [9]

Core Insights - Barclays PLC and HSBC Holdings PLC are prominent foreign banks based in London, both focusing on streamlining operations to enhance efficiency and core business focus [1][2] Barclays Overview - Barclays is implementing a three-year cost savings plan aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and reallocating capital into higher-growth markets, including a recent sale of its consumer finance business in Germany [3][4] - The bank achieved gross savings of £1 billion in 2024 and £150 million in Q1 2025, with a target of £0.5 billion in gross efficiency savings for the current year and £2 billion by 2026 [4][5] - Barclays is investing in high-growth areas, including a £400 million collaboration with Brookfield Asset Management and a £210 million capital injection into its India operations [5][6] - The bank's net interest income and other income have shown improvement, indicating that its strategic refocus is yielding positive results [6][7] HSBC Overview - HSBC is executing a $1.5 billion cost-saving plan focused on organizational simplification, with an additional $1.5 billion to be redeployed from underperforming areas into strategic priorities [8][9] - The bank has divested operations in several countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Argentina, and is reviewing its presence in various markets to improve returns [9][11] - HSBC is concentrating on its Asia-focused strategy, aiming to become a leading wealth manager in the region, with significant expansions planned in mainland China and India [11][12] - Despite these efforts, HSBC has faced subdued revenue generation and weak earnings performance expectations due to a challenging macroeconomic environment [13][24] Comparative Analysis - Barclays is projected to have earnings growth of 21.2% in 2025 and 23.3% in 2026, while HSBC's earnings growth is expected to be only 4.2% in 2025, with a decline of approximately 1% in 2026 [10][14] - Year-to-date, Barclays shares have increased by 37.9%, outperforming HSBC's 22.3% gain [18][20] - In terms of valuation, Barclays is trading at a P/TB of 0.77, while HSBC is at 1.09, indicating that Barclays is currently less expensive [20][26] - HSBC has a higher return on equity (ROE) of 12.55% compared to Barclays' 8.04%, reflecting more efficient use of shareholder funds [21][27] Investment Outlook - Barclays is viewed as a better investment opportunity due to its stronger near-term earnings outlook, attractive valuation, and superior stock performance [23][27] - HSBC's long-term strategy in Asia and wealth management may yield significant gains, but current revenue growth and earnings performance concerns present challenges [24][27]

Core Viewpoint - HSBC Continental Europe has agreed to sell its custody business in Germany to BNP Paribas, aligning with its strategy to focus on corporate and institutional banking for international clients in Europe [2][3]. Group 1: Transaction Details - The sale is part of HSBC's simplification strategy announced in October 2024, aimed at enhancing leadership and market share in areas of competitive advantage [3]. - The custody business in Germany provides domestic custody, clearing, and depository services for German institutional clients, with all staff, assets, and clients transferring to BNP Paribas [4]. - The completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory and anti-trust approvals, as well as negotiations with the Works Council in Germany [4]. Group 2: Transition Plan - A phased transfer of staff and clients is expected to begin in early 2026, with both HSBC and BNP Paribas focused on ensuring a smooth transition [5]. Group 3: Company Background - HSBC Continental Europe operates across various European countries, providing corporate and institutional banking, private banking, insurance, and asset management services [7]. - HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company, is one of the largest banking organizations globally, with assets of approximately USD 3,054 billion as of March 31, 2025 [9]. - BNP Paribas is a leading European banking and financial services provider, operating in 64 countries with a strong presence in corporate and institutional banking [10][11]. Group 4: Securities Services Overview - BNP Paribas' Securities Services business is a global custodian with a custody network covering over 90 markets, managing USD 15.4 trillion in assets under custody as of March 31, 2025 [12].

Group 1 - HSBC UK has reduced its financial advice fee for premier customers to 1% from 2.75%, with a minimum charge of £960, as part of a promotional discount until the end of the year [1][9] - The rationale behind this move is to enhance offerings for "mass affluent" clients, coinciding with the relaunch of its Premier account in February 2025 [2][9] - The minimum asset requirement for accessing the premier investment management service has been lowered from £250,000 to £100,000, and a switching incentive has been introduced for new premier customers [3][9] Group 2 - HSBC UK Private Banking has adopted the Addepar platform to improve services for ultra and high net worth clients [4] - In mainland China, HSBC is expanding its wealth business through lifestyle-focused centers and acquisitions, including Citigroup's retail wealth arm [4] - Over the past six months, HSBC shares have increased by 19.7%, which is lower than the industry's growth of 24.6% [5]

智通财经6月24日电，汇丰银行将长荣评级下调至减持。 ...

Group 1 - HSBC Holdings repurchased 1.974 million shares on June 23 at a total cost of approximately HKD 180.9 million [1] - The repurchase price per share ranged from HKD 91.20 to HKD 91.95 [1]

Group 1 - Following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, UK bank stocks experienced a general increase [1] - Barclays, Lloyds, and HSBC saw stock price increases ranging from 2.2% to 3% [1]