HSBC is a British bank and financial holding company with an international presence that is comprised of roughly 3,900 offices in over 60 countries. The bank is consistently ranked among the top ten largest in the world and, as of 2018, is the seventh largest in the world, as well as the largest in Europe with assets totalling $2.558 trillion based on figures collated in December 2018.

The company has its roots in Hong Kong, its name taken from the original Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The company’s first bank branches were opened in Hong Kong in 1865 and it was incorporated a year later in 1866. HSBC has always maintained a safety-first approach to its business which has been a primary ethos of the group since its inception. This often sees it considered a more defensive and diverse bank than its peers, less reliant on more risky investment banking operations.

With roughly 200,00 shareholders, HSBC shares are traded on both the London Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange as dual primary listings, something not many companies can boast of. The bank also has secondary listings on three more stock exchanges, including New York, Euronext Paris and Bermuda. In terms of market capitalisation, HSBC shares make it the biggest company on the UK’s flagship index with a value of £125 billion and accounting for a mammoth 7% of the index, This makes HSBC shares worth £20bn more than next biggest BP (5.8%).

HSBC has over 38 million customers across the world, in every major continent, and splits its operations between four major groups, including Commercial Banking, Global Private Banking, Retail banking and Wealth Development and Global Banking and Markets. Its commercial banking department works on providing financial facilities to a number of enterprises ranging from associates to partnerships. The global banking and market division is responsible for investment banking services and has services in areas like foreign exchange, money markets and credit rates. Global private banking is the private banking section of HSBC’s four groups, dealing with individual clients of higher net worth across the world. Lastly, its retail banking and wealth management team is responsible for personal banking clients, including personal and savings accounts and mortgages.