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

June, 1999

BANKING

Amount

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

4/99

4/99

3/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

1998

1997

1996

HKD M0 (in HKD) 84.2 5.0 5.3 5.3 0.7 (2.0) (3.1) 0.7 5.3 7.3
HKD M1 (in HKD) 180.1 (2.0) (2.0) (2.0) (5.2) (17.2) (17.0) (5.2) (5.1) 15.5
HKD M2 (in HKD) 1,853.0 10.1 8.5 8.5 9.9 3.6 0.4 9.9 9.9 19.3
HKD M3 (in HKD) 1,864.7 9.9 8.2 8.2 9.4 3.2 0.3 9.4 9.9 18.9
Spread (Prime-Hibor3) (pa) (%) na 3.45 3.20 2.97 3.63 0.18 2.32 1.86 1.71 3.07
Res. mortg. loans outstanding
(before adjusted to reclassification) na 7.7 7.9 7.9 9.6 9.4 16.9 9.6 28.3 18.9
(after adjusted to reclassification) 467.8 na na na na na na na na na
Loans-to-Deposits Ratio (pa) (%)
(Total) na 100.4 103.2 106.6 114.4 120.4 135.7 128.8 158.1 164.2
(HKD) na 96.7 99.2 100.5 101.2 105.1 112.1 107.9 110.3 106.0
Foreign Currency Reserves^ (in US$bn) 89.5 89.5 89.5 89.5 89.6 88.4 96.5 89.6 93.2 69.6
Deposits 3,001.5 11.0 8.8 8.8 10.9 6.2 1.7 10.9 8.4 10.2
HKD Deposits @ 1,715.7 10.0 8.1 8.1 9.7 2.6 (0.6) 9.7 9.8 19.5
FC Deposits # 1,285.8 12.4 9.7 9.7 12.6 11.3 4.9 12.6 6.6 (0.4)
Loans & Advances 3,014.8 (18.9) (18.1) (18.1) (19.8) (21.4) (16.1) (19.8) 5.3 4.7
Loans in HKD 1,659.1 (4.6) (3.6) (3.6) (2.7) (4.8) 3.0 (2.7) 20.4 16.9
Loans in FC 1,355.7 (31.4) (30.7) (30.7) (32.3) (33.5) (28.5) (32.3) (3.6) (1.4)
Loans for use in HK1 2,026.9 (8.0) (6.9) (6.9) (5.5) (3.5) 4.1 (5.5) 22.6 16.0
Loans for use outside HK2 987.9 (34.7) (34.3) (34.3) (36.7) (41.1) (35.8) (36.7) (9.8) (3.4)
Loans for use in HK (eop) na na (6.9) (6.9) (5.5) (3.5) 4.1 (5.5) 22.6 15.9
To purchase residential properties na na 8.1 8.1 9.1 8.1 16.0 9.1 28.8 20.9
Property Development & Investment na na (6.5) (6.5) (10.1) 0.7 7.3 (10.1) 31.6 26.0
Trade Finances1 na na (24.6) (24.6) (22.5) (16.8) (9.7) (22.5) 4.3 6.7
Financial Concerns na na (20.0) (20.0) (7.0) (1.8) 8.0 (7.0) 26.2 16.7
Wholesale & Retail Trade na na (14.2) (14.2) (13.6) (4.8) (2.4) (13.6) 15.7 6.3
Manufacturing na na (15.0) (15.0) (15.5) (10.8) (8.0) (15.5) 3.8 7.6
Credit Card na na 11.9 11.9 13.7 20.7 26.6 13.7 29.0 17.3
Consumer Finance Ħħ na na (13.9) (13.9) (11.7) (11.3) 1.0 (11.7) 19.8 13.5
PRIVATE CONSUMPTION

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

3/99 3/99 2/99 Q4/98 Q3/98 Q2/98 Q1/98 1998 1997 1996
Retail Sales (Value) $14.0bn (14.0) (3.9) (18.9) (19.4) (15.5) (13.3) (16.8) 4.9 6.3
(Volume) na (9.6) 0.1 (16.7) (19.7) (16.3) (14.4) (16.8) 1.1 1.6
Restaurant Receipts (Value) $14.4bn(98Q4) na na (2.0) (4.4) (4.0) (5.0) (3.9) 6.0 5.0
(Volume) na na na (3.0) (5.9) (6.7) (9.0) (6.2) 2.0 2.0
Department Store (Value) na (20.3) (3.4) (25.5) (26.6) (26.4) (26.9) (26.5) (3.2) 4.5
(Volume) na (9.8) 6.9 (21.2) (28.5) (28.8) (29.2) (27.0) (9.3) (1.5)
Visitors Arrivals 0.86mn 12.4 10.1 5.5 10.5 (16.9) (24.9) (8.0) (11.1) 14.7
PROPERTY

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

4/99

4/99

3/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

1998

1997

1996

Sales & purchase agreements
Value
$28.1bn
(14.1)
(50.0)
(18.4)
(5.1)
(78.2)
(64.8)
(54.3)
83
79
Number
9.9thou.
(11.1)
(21.3)
10.9
18.0
(64.4)
(52.3)
(50.2)
39
51
New res. mortg. approved of 33 AIs
Number, during the period
9.7thou.
70.0
23.5
26.3
29.9
(55.5)
(60.1)
(34.9)
18.5
68.5
Value per loan, during the period
$1.53mn
(14.5)
(30.8)
(27.8)
(24.1)
(28.6)
(10.5)
(12.0)
27.2
6.8
Private residential
     Rental (official)
na
na
na
na
(10.4)
(21.5)
(10.9)
(16.5)
13.5
(1.7)
     Price (official)
na
na
na
na
(40.0)
(38.3)
(25.2)
(52.9)
40.9
9.6
          HK
$4,374/sf
(20.7)
(24.6)
(25.5)
(37.6)
(42.3)
(26.5)
(29.4)
na
na
          KL
$3,990/sf
(18.4)
(24.5)
(25.3)
(39.6)
(44.8)
(30.3)
(31.9)
na
na
          NT
$3,226/sf
(18.6)
(22.0)
(21.5)
(37.2)
(44.4)
(32.8)
(32.2)
na
na
Rental yield (%) :
HK
na
4.04
4.18
4.23
4.35
4.43
3.99
4.1
3.7
na
KL
na
4.24
4.47
4.49
4.62
4.78
4.49
4.5
3.9
na
NT
na
3.70
3.76
3.71
3.83
3.90
3.56
3.6
3.1
na
Residential construction completed (sq.m.), ytd
168.8thou.
Jan
9.2
Jan
22.9
Dec
na
1.1
42.3
(6)
22.9
(7)
(13)
Res.l construction consent to start work (sq.m.), ytd
36.1thou. Jan
33.2
Jan
(9.7)
Dec
na
57.8
(29.8)
(39)
(9.7)
54
54
MACRO INDICATORS

Amount

% change, yoy unless otherwise stated

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

4/99

4/99

3/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

Q3/98

Q2/98

1998

1997

1996

GDP na na (3.5) (3.5) (5.7) (6.9) (5.1) (5.1) 5.3 4.5
Composite CPI na (3.8) (2.6) (1.8) (0.7) 2.8 4.4 2.8 5.8 6.3
Labour
Unemployment Rate (%) na 6.3 6.2 6.0 5.5 4.9 4.4 4.7 2.2 2.8
Unemployed ('000 people) na 216.0 213.3 207.6 194.1 179.4 143.7 157.6 71.3 86.1
External Trade
Total Exports 106.6 (8.1) (10.6) (9.0) (13.6) (10.3) (3.1) (7.4) 4.2 4.0
     Domestic Exports 12.8 (17.4) (17.5) (12.2) (19.0) (11.9) (3.6) (10.9) (0.4) (8.4)
     Re-exports 93.8 (6.7) (9.5) (8.5) (12.7) (10.1) (3.0) (6.9) 5.0 6.6
Total Imports 113.3 (14.9) (12.4) (13.8) (18.2) (15.5) (6.0) (11.5) 5.2 3.0
Trade Balance (in $bn) (6.7) (6.7) (11.2) (12.9) (8.1) (6.1) (35.0) (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.

KEY INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS
(Update: 11th June, 1999)
Country Unemployment
Rate
Inflation
Rate
Real GNP/GDP
Growth Rate
Trade Balance
(US$ bn)
Money Supply
(narrow)
Prime Lending
Rate
US 4.2% (May) 2.3% (Apr) 3.9% (Q1) -26.46 (Mar) 2.4% (Apr) 7.75%
UK 6.2% (Mar) 1.6% (Apr) 0.6% (Q1) -3.48 (Mar) 5.9% (Apr) 5.00%
Euro-11 10.4% (Mar) 1.1% (Apr) 2.3% (Q4) 5.04 (Feb) 10.8% (Mar) 4.15%
Japan 4.8% (Apr) -0.1% (Apr) 7.9% (Q1) 10.73 (Mar) 9.4% (Apr) 1.375%
Australia 7.5% (Apr) 1.2% (Q1) 4.8% (Q1) -0.88 (Mar) 9.8% (Apr) 8.75%
Canada 8.1% (Apr) 1.7% (Apr) 2.6% (Q1) 1.72 ( Mar) 2.4% (Apr) 6.25%
Hong Kong 6.3% (Feb-Apr) -3.8% (Apr) -3.5% (Q1) -0.86 (Apr) -2.0% (Apr) 8.25%

 

Chart 1: Growth of mortgage loans outstanding eased lower as the secondary market remained sluggish.


Chart 2: As a result of consecutive rate cuts and improvement in confidence, property prices have shown slight rebound.



Chart 3: Rate of decrease in retail sales had been narrowing in the first quarter.