HSBC Holdings plc, which is the parent company of the HSBC Group, has its headquarters in London. The group provides services to customers around the world through approximately 8,000 branches located in 88 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With activities totalling USD 2,364 billion (as of 31 December 2009), HSBC is one of the largest organisations in the world providing banking and financial services. HSBC presents itself to the world as “the world’s local bank”.
With its international network of interlinked advanced technology, including the rapidly expanding possibilities offered by e-commerce, HSBC provides a full scale of financial services, personal financial services, corporate and investment banking and market services, private banking and many other activities.
The Group’s History
The HSBC Group has a unique international origin. Many of its main branches started operations more than a hundred years ago and their historical development resounds with diversification and success. The HSBC Group carries the name of its founder – the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 for the purpose of financing the growing trade between China and Europe.
International Awards
HSBC’s experience in international trade has long been acknowledged and praised by a number of prestigious surveys. Most recently, HSBC was awarded the title of “Best Global Trade Finance Bank, 2009” by the Global Trade Review magazine.
This is the second consecutive year in which the magazine has awarded this prestigious title to HSBC. This only serves to confirm the enormous added value that HSBC’s clients receive from the international banking services provided to them.
HSBC enjoyed one if its greatest successes on the Asian continent last year. In July, it was the first foreign bank to successfully standardise the yuan-denominated settlement of cross-border trade between China and Hong Kong. The remaining markets in Southeast Asia soon followed suit over the course of the next six months.
The following are only a selection of the awards received by HSBC in the past:
- Best Trade Finance Bank, FinanceAsia, 1997-2005 for nine consecutive years
- Best Trade Finance Bank in Asia, Global Finance, 2002-2006
- Best Trade Finance Bank, The Asset, 2003-2006
- Best Trade Bank in East Asia, Trade and Forfaiting Review, 2005
- Best Trade Bank in Asia, Trade Finance, 2004-2006
- Best Trade Bank in China, Trade Finance, 2006
- Best Trade Finance Bank, Cargonews Asia, 2003-2006
- Best Regional Trade Finance Bank, Asiamoney, 2004
