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Home > Corporate Information > Economic Research > Economic Indicators > February, 1999

February, 1999

BANKING
 

Amount

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

 

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

 

12/98

12/98

11/98

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

Q1/98

1998

1997

1996

HKD M0 (in HKD) 81.2 0.7 0.3 0.7 (2.0) (3.1) (0.2) 0.7 5.3 7.3
HKD M1 (in HKD) 178.3 (5.2) (3.2) (5.2) (17.2) (17.0) (6.5) (5.2) (5.1) 15.5
HKD M2 (in HKD) 1,815.9 9.9 10.4 9.9 3.6 0.4 7.8 9.9 9.9 19.3
HKD M3 (in HKD) 1,828.0 9.4 10.0 9.4 3.2 0.3 7.5 9.4 9.9 18.9
Spread (Prime-Hibor3) (pa) (%) na 3.73 3.69

3.63

0.18

2.32

1.29

1.86

1.71

3.07

Res. mortg. loans outstanding                    
(before adjusted to reclassification) na 9.6 8.7 9.6 9.4 16.9 23.3 9.6 28.3 18.9
(after adjusted to reclassification) 459.3

na

na

na

na

na

na

na

na

na

Loans-to-Deposits Ratio (pa) (%)                    
(Total) na 111.9 113.6 114.4 120.4 135.7 144.5 128.8 158.1 164.2
(HKD) na 100.6 101.5 101.2 105.1 112.1 113.2 107.9 110.3 106.0
Foreign Currency Reserves^ (in US$bn) 89.6 89.6 88.6 89.6 88.4 96.5 96.8 89.6 93.2 69.6
                     
Deposits 2,955.3 10.9 10.3 10.9 6.2 1.7 6.8 10.9 8.4 10.2
HKD Deposits @ 1,686.3 9.7 10.2 9.7 2.6 (0.6) 7.3 9.7 9.8 19.5
FC Deposits # 1,269.0 12.6 10.3 12.6 11.3 4.9 6.0 12.6 6.6 (0.4)
                     
Loans & Advances 3,305.6 (19.8) (20.5) (19.8) (21.4) (16.1) (5.5) (19.8) 5.3 4.7
Loans in HKD 1,695.9 (2.7) (1.7) (2.7) (4.8) 3.0 9.5 (2.7) 20.4 16.9
Loans in FC 1,609.7 (32.3) (33.7) (32.3) (33.5) (28.5) (15.6) (32.3) (3.6) (1.4)
Loans for use in HK1 2,108.0 (5.5) (3.7) (5.5) (3.5) 4.1 12.1 (5.5) 22.6 16.0
Loans for use outside HK2 1,197.6 (36.7) (39.3) (36.7) (41.1) (35.8) (23.0) (36.7) (9.8) (3.4)
                     
Loans for use in HK (eop) 2,108.0 (5.5) (3.7) (5.5) (3.5) 4.1 12.1 (5.5) 22.6 15.9
To purchase residential properties 590.0 9.1 na 9.1 8.1 16.0 22.5 9.1 28.8 20.9
Property Development & Investment 395.6 (10.1) na (10.1) 0.7 7.3 18.8 (10.1) 31.6 26.0
Trade Finances1 149.5 (22.5) na (22.5) (16.8) (9.7) (1.2) (22.5) 4.3 6.7
Financial Concerns 241.5 (7.0) na (7.0) (1.8) 8.0 10.9 (7.0) 26.2 16.7
Wholesale & Retail Trade 177.9 (13.6) na (13.6) (4.8) (2.4) 5.2 (13.6) 15.7 6.3
Manufacturing 93.5 (15.5) na (15.5) (10.8) (8.0) 3.2 (15.5) 3.8 7.6
Credit Card 34.8 13.7 na 13.7 20.7 26.6 31.9 13.7 29.0 17.3
Consumer Finance Ħħ 108.9 (11.7) na (11.7) (11.3) 1.0 2.7 (11.7) 19.8 13.5
PRIVATE CONSUMPTION
     

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

   

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

   

11/98

11/98

10/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

Q1/98

Q4/97

1997

1996

1995

Retail Sales (Value)

$14.7bn

(19.7) (20.0) (19.4) (15.5) (13.3) (2.1) 4.9 6.3 4.6
  (Volume)

na

(17.2) (18.9) (19.7) (16.3) (14.4) (4.8) 1.1 1.6 (1.4)
Restaurant Receipts (Value)

$14.3bn(98Q3)

na

na

(4.4)

(4.0) (5.0) 0.4 6.0 5.0 4.7
  (Volume)

na

na

na

(5.9)

(6.7) (9.0) (4.0) 2.0 2.0 (2.0)
Department Store (Value)

na

(31.9) (30.2) (26.6) (26.4) (26.9) (11.7) (3.2) 4.5 4.4
  (Volume)

na

(28.6) (29.0) (28.5) (28.8) (29.2) (16.0) (9.3) (1.5) (3.8)
Visitors Arrivals  

0.83mn

5.1

0.2

10.5 (16.9) (24.9) (23.1) (11.1) 14.7 9.3
PROPERTY
   

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

 

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

 

12/98

12/98

11/98

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

Q1/98

1998

1997

1996

Sales & purchase agreements                    
Value

$45.8bn

86.8

(36.0)

39.0

(78.2)

(64.8)

(59.0)

(54.3)

83

79

Number

14.9thou.

104.2

(1.9)

18.0

(64.4)

(52.3)

(52.0)

(50.2)

39

51

New res. mortg. approved of 33 AIs                    
Number, during the period

7.5thou.

74.4

50.9

29.9

(55.5)

(60.1)

(53.9)

(34.9)

18.5

68.5

Value per loan, during the period

$1.49mn

(23.6)

(18.5)

(24.1)

(28.6)

(10.5)

15.3

(12.0)

27.2

6.8

Private residential                    
Price

na

na

na

(38.1)e

(38.3)

(25.2)

(10.4)

(28.0)e

40.9

9.6

    450-750 sf sized

na

na

na

na

(39.1)

(26.0)

(11.2)

na

40.3

9.9

    750-1,100 sf sized

na

na

na

na

(40.4)

(27.2)

(12.5)

na

46.1

9.2

Rental

na

na

na

(26.8)e

(21.5)

(10.9)

(3.8)

(15.8)e

13.5

(1.7)

    450-750 sf sized

na

na

na

na

(22.3)

(13.5)

(7.6)

na

13.5

0.0

    750-1,100 sf sized

na

na

na

na

(22.7)

(13.2)

(7.1)

na

13.3

(2.7)

Residential construction completed (sq.m.), ytd

605thou.
Oct

31.5
Oct

37
Sep

na

42.3

(6)

244

na

(7)

(13)

Res.l construction consent to start
work (sq.m.), ytd

1,101thou.
Oct

(20.6)
Oct

(27.0)
Sep

na

(29.8)

(39)

(26)

na

54

54

MACRO INDICATORS
 

Amount

% change, yoy unless otherwise stated

 

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

 

12/98

12/98

11/98

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

Q1/98

1998

1997

1996

GDP

na

na

na

na

(7.1)

(5.1)

(2.6)

na

5.3

4.6

CPI (A)

na

(1.4)

(0.9)

(0.8)

2.3

4.2

4.8

2.6

5.8

6.0

Labour                    
Unemployment Rate (%)

na

5.8

5.5

5.5 4.9 4.4 3.5

4.6

2.2

2.8

Unemployed ('000 people)

na

na

192.4

na

179.4

143.7

106.2

na

71.3

86.1

External Trade                    
Total Exports 107.5 (13.6) (9.3) (13.6) (10.3) (3.1) (1.0) (7.4) 4.2 4.0
    Domestic Exports 15.2 (18.8) (15.8) (19.0) (11.9) (3.6) (7.4) (10.9) (0.4) (8.4)
    Re-exports 92.3 (12.7) (8.2) (12.7) (10.1) (3.0) 0.1 (6.9) 5.0 6.6
Total Imports 114.3 (17.1) (14.4) (18.2) (15.5) (6.0) (5.1) (11.5) 5.2 3.0
Trade Balance (in $bn) (6.8) (6.8) (0.7) (8.1) (6.1) (35.0) (32.6) (81.4) (159.1) (137.8)

^ Foreign Currency Reserves in Land Fund are not included before June 30, 1997.

Consumer finance included individual private and business loans other than property purchases & credit card advance.

1 Loans to finance merchandising trade not touching HK would be included in trade finance & loans for use in HK.

2 Others loans where the place of use is not known would be included in loans for use outside HK.

pa: Period averages @ adjusted to include swap deposits
# adjusted to exclude swap deposits eop: End-of-period
na: Not applicable e: Estimate

This material is prepared by the Economic Research Department. Data on Hong Kong are obtained from the Census and Statistics Department & the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. It is based upon information which we consider reliable. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

Chart 1: While growth of total loans fell to negative territory for two consecutive months, mortgage loans are still managed to stay close to 10 percent level.


Chart 2: Credit card advances grew by 13.7% as many use credit card financing during the economic downturn.


Chart 3: Even property prices have rebounded by around 10% since September 1998, demand would continue to be dampened by high real interest rate and high unemployment rate.