匯豐第四季意外虧損8.58億美元
HSBC is being investigated by US authorities over its hiring of people linked to Asian governments, adding to the bank’s litigation worries, which helped drag it to a fourth-quarter loss.
美國當局正就匯豐銀行(HSBC)僱傭亞洲國家政府關聯人士對其進行調查，這添加了外界對該行陷入法律糾紛的擔憂，訴訟已促使該行第四季度出現虧損。
The bank said yesterday that it was one of “multiple financial institutions” being investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission over its Asian hiring practices, an issue that has also plagued US lenders such as JPMorgan Chase.
匯豐昨日表示，該行是美國證券交易委員會(SEC)就亞洲僱傭行爲進行調查的“多家金融機構”之一。這個問題也困擾着摩根大通(JPMorgan Chase)等美資銀行。
Stuart Gulliver, chief executive, said the SEC had widened its investigation from a group of US banks to include several international groups with operations in Asia.
匯豐首席執行官歐智華(Stuart Gulliver)表示，美國證交會已拓寬調查範圍，從一組美國的銀行擴大到包括幾家在亞洲運營的國際集團。
In the fourth quarter, the cost of settling litigation and of compensating UK customers for mis-sold insurance products cost HSBC more than $700m, dragging it to a surprise $858m loss for the period. The loss — at odds with analyst forecasts of a profit — came in a year of weak lending, restructuring costs and higher bad loan Charges.
第四季度，爲解決訴訟和支付向英國客戶不當銷售保險產品的賠償金，匯豐花費了逾7億美元，使其在該季度意外虧損8.58億美元。這與分析師預測的盈利結果相左。去年期間，匯豐經歷了貸款疲弱、重組成本，以及不良貸款減損支出上升。
The bank returned to annual pre-tax profit growth for 2015, but only by a whisker. Pre-tax profits of $18.9bn grew just 1 per cent in 2015 — an improvement on the 17 per cent drop between 2013 and 2014. Charges made for bad loans rose 17 per cent at $3.7bn, driven by increased provisions for oil and gas exposure in the fourth quarter.
2015年匯豐恢復了年度稅前利潤增長，但幅度很小，其稅前利潤達到189億美元，僅增長1%，但相對於2013-14年間17%的下跌已是改善。由於第四季度針對石油和天然氣敞口計提的撥備增加，不良貸款減損支出上升17%，至37億美元。
It took a $400m impairment charge against its $29bn oil and gas book. Mr Gulliver said that just over two-thirds of its exposure was to state-owned companies and oil majors, adding: “It is a pretty strong book, actually.”
針對總值290億美元的石油和天然氣貸款賬簿，匯豐計入4億美元的減損支出。歐智華表示，略微超過三分之二的敞口是對國有企業和大型石油公司，他補充道：“這實際上是一本相當強勁的貸款賬簿。”
Douglas Flint, chairman, said the bank’s “diversified business model and balance sheet strength” would provide resilience against a slowdown in Chinese economic growth and a “bumpier financial environment”.
匯豐董事長範智廉(Douglas Flint)表示，該行“多元化的業務模式和資產負債表實力”將提供應對中國經濟增長放緩和“更爲動盪的金融環境”的彈性。
The results provide the first clear picture of HSBC since it announced a “pivot to Asia” last yearinvolving shedding $5bn of costs and 50,000 jobs while shifting a sizeable chunk of its assets to more profitable areas, such as China.
自去年匯豐宣佈“轉向亞洲”(pivot to Asia)戰略（涉及削減50億美元成本和裁減5萬工作崗位，同時將相當一部分資產轉移至中國等更有利可圖的地區）以後，這些結果首度提供了有關匯豐的清晰圖景。
HSBC allayed fears among analysts that it would end its progressive dividend policy, lifting its annual payout from 50 cents to 51 cents.
匯豐消除了分析師對於該行可能結束逐年提高股息政策的憂慮，將年度股息從50美分提高至51美分。
Net profit inched down to $13.5bn last year, while revenues slid from $61.3bn to $59.8bn. Return on equity slipped from 7.3 to 7.2 per cent, well below management’s target of at least 10 per cent.
去年淨利潤小幅下降至135億美元，而營收從613億美元下滑至598億美元。股本回報率從7.3%下滑至7.2%，遠低於至少10%的管理層目標。
