Global Research ab 18 August 2025 First Read Hong Kong Banks HIBOR rebounds to 2%; anticipating bigger downside risk in the near term AB reaches an inflection point, anticipating a swift HIBOR rebound Following the HKMA's interventions, the aggregate balance (AB) has dropped from a peak of HK$174bn in May to HK$54bn, marking an inflection point for the SOFR to HIBOR spread to mean revert. On August 18, the 1M HIBOR rebounded to 2.01%, up from 1.45% last Friday. Concurrently, the USD/HKD exchange rate fell f ...

Core Viewpoint - UBS expects HIBOR to stabilize between 2% and 2.5% by the end of Q3, indicating a cautious outlook for Hong Kong banks in the short term [1] Group 1: Bank Ratings and Preferences - UBS maintains a "neutral" rating on Bank of China (Hong Kong) and East Asia Bank, while rating Hang Seng Bank as "sell" [1] - Bank of China (Hong Kong) remains the preferred choice among the covered Hong Kong bank stocks, despite a potential short-term price decline [1] Group 2: Interest Income and Market Expectations - The rebound in HIBOR is beneficial for banks' net interest margins and net interest income, but the market has already priced in HIBOR's stability for the remainder of the year [1] - UBS anticipates that the pressure on net interest income in Q3 will be greater than in Q2, as the negative impact in Q2 lasted only about a month [1] Group 3: Loan Growth and Future Projections - After a 2% growth in loan balances during May and June, the sustainability of this growth momentum remains uncertain [1] - For 2025, UBS projects net interest income declines of 7%, 9%, and 11% for Bank of China (Hong Kong), Hang Seng Bank, and East Asia Bank, respectively [1]

Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Dah Sing Banking Group, while Bank of East Asia is rated "Underweight" [24]. Core Insights - HIBOR is expected to remain below trend for an extended period, impacting the earnings of local HK banks more significantly than HSBC and Standard Chartered [1][5]. - The report highlights that while low HIBOR rates may ease risks related to Hong Kong's commercial real estate (CRE), the potential writebacks on CRE allowances will not offset the decline in net interest income (NII) for certain banks [1][6]. - The analysis indicates that local HK banks could face substantial earnings risks if HIBOR remains low, particularly for Bank of East Asia, BOCHK, and HSB [1][5]. Summary by Sections HIBOR Trends - HIBOR has fallen sharply, with the 1-month rate dropping by 336 basis points to 0.59% in May, and is projected to average around 2.6% in the second half of 2025 [4][7]. - Factors that could lead to a rebound in HIBOR include the issuance of exchange fund bills by HKMA, increased demand for HKD, and potential currency peg interventions [4][5]. Earnings Sensitivity Analysis - The report provides a sensitivity analysis showing potential earnings downside for banks if HIBOR averages 2.6%, 2.0%, or 0.6% from June to December 2025. For example, Bank of East Asia could see earnings decline by 21% at 2.6% HIBOR [18]. - Local HK banks are projected to experience a more significant earnings downside compared to HSBC and Standard Chartered, with declines of up to 39% under the lowest HIBOR scenario [18]. Shareholder Returns - The report estimates total shareholder returns for various banks under different HIBOR scenarios, with HSBC and Standard Chartered expected to maintain around 10% returns, while local banks could see returns drop significantly [19]. - The downside in shareholder returns is particularly pronounced for local banks, with potential declines of 96 basis points to 276 basis points depending on HIBOR levels [19]. Commercial Real Estate Impact - The report discusses the impact of HIBOR on HK CRE provisions, indicating that even optimistic scenarios of writebacks may not fully offset NII declines for certain banks [20]. - The loan loss reserve ratios for HSBC and Standard Chartered are relatively low, suggesting limited buffer against NII declines from low HIBOR [20]. Market Performance - Despite the drop in HIBOR, local HK banks' share prices have shown resilience, increasing by an average of 5.8% in May, attributed to market assumptions of temporary HIBOR weakness and easing CRE risks [6][19].