


Group 1 - Hong Kong bank stocks rose in the afternoon, with Standard Chartered Group up 4.09% to HKD 147.7, East Asia Bank up 2.32% to HKD 12.78, HSBC Holdings up 1.96% to HKD 98.9, and Hang Seng Bank up 1.77% to HKD 115.1 [1] - HSBC and Hang Seng reported better-than-expected first-half results, with Standard Chartered and HSBC's non-interest income showing strong performance, supporting revenue growth [1] - However, overall risks in the Hong Kong banking sector remain, with low HIBOR leading to a decline in interest margins, negatively impacting net interest income in Q2 [1] Group 2 - Local loan demand in Hong Kong remains weak, with both Standard Chartered and HSBC experiencing a quarter-on-quarter contraction in local loans in Q2 [1] - The non-performing loan ratio in Hong Kong's commercial real estate sector has increased quarter-on-quarter, indicating ongoing pressure in the real estate industry [1] - On August 6, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority intervened by buying HKD 8.439 billion due to the HKD/USD exchange rate touching the weak end of the peg, marking the fourth intervention in seven days [1]