HSBC Holdings plc (Chinese: 滙豐) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England. With strong historical and business ties to East Asia, HSBC is the largest Europe-based bank by total assets, surpassing BNP Paribas, with US$2.919 trillion as of December 2023. In 2021, HSBC managed $10.8 trillion in assets under custody (AUC) and $4.9 trillion in assets under administration (AUA).
Historical Background
HSBC traces its origins to a hong trading house in British Hong Kong. The bank was established in 1865 in Hong Kong and expanded to Shanghai in the same year. It was formally incorporated in 1866. In 1991, HSBC Holdings plc was established in London, making the historic Hong-Kong-based bank a fully-owned subsidiary. In 1992, HSBC acquired Midland Bank, becoming one of the largest domestic banks in the United Kingdom.
Global Presence
HSBC operates offices, branches, and subsidiaries in 62 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America, serving around 39 million customers. As of 2023, HSBC ranked 20th in Forbes’ global rankings of large companies by sales, profits, assets, and market value. HSBC has a dual primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange and is part of the Hang Seng Index and the FTSE 100 Index. It also has secondary listings on the New York Stock Exchange and the Bermuda Stock Exchange.
Controversies
HSBC has been implicated in numerous controversies and has faced repeated fines for money laundering and setting up large-scale tax avoidance schemes.
Market Capitalization of HSBC (HSBC)
- Market Cap as of May 2024: $167.13 billion
- This ranks HSBC as the world’s 80th most valuable company by market cap.
- Market capitalization, or market cap, is the total market value of a publicly traded company’s outstanding shares and is commonly used to measure a company’s worth.
Revenue for HSBC (HSBC)
- Revenue in 2023 (TTM): $66.74 billion
- Revenue in 2022: $62.26 billion
- Revenue in 2021: $64.42 billion
Revenue represents the total income generated from the sale of goods or services without deducting expenses.
Earnings for HSBC (HSBC)
- Earnings in 2023 (TTM): $30.11 billion
- Earnings in 2022: $17.58 billion
- Earnings in 2021: $18.90 billion
The earnings displayed are the company’s pretax income.
Stock Price History for HSBC (HSBC)
- Highest End of Day Price: $99.52 USD on October 31, 2007
- Lowest End of Day Price: $18.11 USD on September 25, 2020
P/E Ratio for HSBC (HSBC)
- P/E Ratio as of May 2024 (TTM): 6.39
- At the end of 2022, the P/E ratio was 8.42.
- The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio measures the company’s current share price relative to its per-share earnings.
P/S Ratio for HSBC (HSBC)
- P/S Ratio as of May 2024 (TTM): 2.50
- At the end of 2023, the P/S ratio was 2.37.
- The price-to-sales (P/S) ratio compares the company’s stock price to its revenue.
Total Assets for HSBC (HSBC)
- As of March 2024: $3.000 trillion
- Total assets include all current and non-current assets, such as inventories, cash and cash equivalents, properties, and equipment.
Number of Shares Outstanding for HSBC (HSBC)
- As of May 2024: 3,880,800,000 shares
- The number of outstanding shares can be influenced by stock splits and share buybacks.
This detailed overview of HSBC Holdings plc provides comprehensive insights into the bank’s market position, financial performance, and historical background, useful for investors and financial analysts.









