HSBC Holdings (HBC)

Foreign exchange gains on available-for-sale securities

Within individual legal entities, HSBC holds securities in a number of different currencies which are classified as available-for-sale. For example, within the private bank in Switzerland, which has the US dollar as its reporting currency, HSBC holds euro-denominated bonds which are funded in euros and Swiss franc securities funded in Swiss francs. No foreign exchange exposure arises from this because, although the value of the assets in US dollar terms changes according to the exchange rate, there is an identical offsetting change in the US dollar value of the related funding. Under IFRSs, both the assets and the liabilities are translated at closing exchange rates and the differences between historical book value and current value are reflected in foreign exchange trading income. This reflects the economic substance of holding currency assets financed by currency liabilities.

However, under US accounting rules, the change in value of the investments classified as available-for-sale is taken directly to reserves while the offsetting change in US dollar terms of the borrowing is taken to earnings. This leads to an accounting result which does not reflect either the underlying risk position or the economics of the transactions. It is also a situation that will reverse on maturity of the asset or earlier sale.

A similar difference arises when foreign currency exposure on foreign currency assets is covered using forward contracts but where HSBC does not manage these hedges to conform with the detailed US hedge designation requirements.

The result of this is that for the first half of 2005, US GAAP profits were increased by some US$2.2 billion compared with IFRSs profits. There is no difference in shareholders’ equity between IFRSs and US GAAP as a result of this item.

Approximately half of the adjustment for the first half of 2005 reflects the reversal of adjustments in prior periods on the maturity or disposal of securities. The other half of the adjustment reflects a strengthening of the US dollar and the Hong Kong dollar against the principal currencies in which HSBC holds ‘available-for-sale securities’.

20