HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) Research Coverage Started at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) in a research note published on Wednesday. The firm issued an equal weight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on HSBC. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of HSBC in a report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Zacks Research upgraded HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Bank of America upgraded shares of HSBC from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of HSBC in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HSBC has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.00.

HSBC Stock Down 0.4%

HSBC stock opened at $82.52 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $283.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.37, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.52. HSBC has a 1-year low of $45.66 and a 1-year high of $83.04. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $75.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $17.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.78 billion. HSBC had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 12.78%. Research analysts predict that HSBC will post 6.66 EPS for the current year.

HSBC Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 7th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from HSBC’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. HSBC’s payout ratio is 41.68%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HSBC

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HSBC. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HSBC by 9.2% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 17,043,371 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,036,067,000 after buying an additional 1,430,797 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in HSBC by 160.9% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 502,200 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,529,000 after acquiring an additional 309,738 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in HSBC by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,575,644 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $750,659,000 after acquiring an additional 185,073 shares during the last quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. bought a new position in shares of HSBC during the 3rd quarter valued at about $12,810,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of HSBC by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,311,820 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $93,113,000 after purchasing an additional 168,438 shares during the last quarter. 1.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

HSBC News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting HSBC this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HSBC is undertaking a strategic review of its insurance business in Singapore, including exploring a potential sale — a move management says is part of simplifying operations globally; this could unlock value or reduce complexity if a divestment or restructuring follows. HSBC to review Singapore insurance business as its slims down globally
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley has begun analyst coverage of HSBC, which can raise investor attention and trading liquidity; the initiation itself is a near-term catalyst even if the published note’s stance is not widely publicized yet. Morgan Stanley Begins Coverage on HSBC (NYSE:HSBC)
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC published investment commentary naming two AI stocks as likely earnings winners — informative for markets but not directly material to HSBC’s own earnings; shows the bank’s research franchise is active. HSBC Says These 2 AI Stocks Are Likely to Be Earnings Winners. Should You Buy Them Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC strategists (Max Kettner) are publicly very bullish on equities — commentary that reflects the bank’s market views but is unlikely to move HSBC shares materially by itself. We’re ‘almost maximum bullish’ on equities, particularly in the US.: HSBC’s Max Kettner
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC research highlights long-term tech opportunities (e.g., smart glasses market forecast to 2040) — supports its research-driven revenue stream but is a longer-dated, non-core signal for bank valuation. Smart glasses market will be worth $200 billion by 2040, HSBC says

HSBC Company Profile

HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) is a multinational banking and financial services organization headquartered in London. It traces its origins to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, founded in 1865 to facilitate trade between Europe and Asia, and has since grown into one of the world’s largest banking groups. The company is publicly listed in multiple markets, including the London Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and as an American depositary receipt on the New York Stock Exchange.

HSBC operates a universal banking model, serving retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.