

Group 1: Market Overview - The report indicates that the Hang Seng Index closed at 22,008.11, up 0.16%, with fluctuations throughout the day, including a high of 22,213 and a low of 21,918 [3] - The report highlights that the offshore RMB has strengthened, marking its strongest performance in over three weeks, which is expected to positively influence the Hong Kong stock market ahead of the holiday [2] Group 2: Company Performance - HSBC Holdings reported a 12.26% year-on-year increase in its first-quarter pre-tax profit, amounting to USD 6.126 billion, while its UK operations saw a decline of 5.52% [11] - New World Development experienced a significant increase in residential sales in mainland China, with a year-on-year growth of over 52%, achieving sales of over RMB 2.1 billion in the first quarter [12] - Seaspan Corporation reported a 38.55% increase in revenue for the first quarter, reaching approximately USD 761 million, driven by a rise in average freight rates [13] Group 3: Regulatory and Market Access Developments - The National Development and Reform Commission, along with other regulatory bodies, announced a campaign to eliminate unreasonable market access barriers, aiming to create a fair market environment [6] - The new version of the "Negative List for Market Access" has reduced the number of restricted items from 117 to 106, indicating a further relaxation of market access restrictions in mainland China [7] - The report notes that the potential supply of new private residential units in Hong Kong has decreased to 105,000, a reduction of 2,000 units compared to the end of last year, reflecting a continuous decline over four quarters [8]