Hsbc

INTRODUCTION

In this report an examination will be made of the financial institution HSBC Holdings, Plc. Some of the elements that will be presented in the report are the background of HSBC, the services that they provide, their objectives and goals, its branding and advertising, and its financial standing.

The following websites were used for this document: www.hsbc.com, www.finance.yahoo.com, and www.economist.com

BACKGROUND

HSBC Holdings plc is one of the largest banking groups in the world, ranked the fifth-largest company and third-largest banking company in the world in Forbes Global 2000. Its head office is located in the HSBC Tower in London's Canary Wharf. The group is named after its founding member, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a bank established by Thomas Sutherland, from Scotland, to finance British trade in the Far East in 1865. It is the largest bank in Hong Kong, and at the end of 2004 it was the third largest banking group in the world (behind Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase respectively).

SERVICES

HSBC is a financial group that splits its business into four distinct sections on a global basis:

Personal Financial Services

HSBC provides more than 100 million customers world-wide with a full range of personal financial services, including current and savings accounts, mortgages, car financing, insurance, credit cards, loans, pensions and investments. The Consumer Finance group facilitates point of sale credit to consumers, and lends money and provides related services to meet the financial needs of everyday people.

Commercial Banking

HSBC provides financial services to small, medium-sized and middle-market enterprises. The group has almost 2.5 million of such customers, including sole proprietors, partnerships, clubs and associations, incorporated businesses and publicly quoted companies.

Corporate, Investment Banking and Markets

This customer group provides tailored financial services to corporate and institutional clients. Business lines comprise Global Banking, Global Markets, Global Research and Global Transaction Banking.

Private Banking

Private Banking provides financial services to high net worth individuals and their families in 68 cities. Over the last five years, acquired companies such as Republic New York Corporation, Safra Republic Holdings, The Bank of Bermuda and Wealth and Tax Advisory Services have been integrated into HSBCs private banking business.

BRAND AND ADVERTISING

The group announced in November 1998 that the HSBC brand and the hexagon symbol would be adopted as the unified brand in all the markets where HSBC operates, with the aim of enhancing recognition of the Group and its values by customers, shareholders and staff throughout the