Group 1 - Hong Kong bank stocks have declined again, with Standard Chartered down 3.17% at HKD 167.9 and HSBC down 3.03% at HKD 125 [1] - The ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have led several global banks, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, to inform some Middle Eastern clients that certain transactions involving Asian balance sheets will be postponed [1] - As regional conflicts escalate, bank officials are privately reassessing their expansion plans in the Gulf region and carefully weighing the risks arising from the Middle Eastern conflicts [1] Group 2 - According to a report by JPMorgan analysts, HSBC and Standard Chartered are the European banks with the largest exposure to Middle Eastern risks, with contributions to their pre-tax profits from the region being 4% and 12% respectively [1]