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

November, 1999

BANKING

Amount

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

9/99

9/99

8/99

Q3/99

Q2/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

1998

1997

1996

HKD M0 (in HKD) 86.9 9.9 9.4 9.9 16.9 5.3 0.7 0.7 5.3 7.3
HKD M1 (in HKD) 186.6 10.5 9.3 10.5 7.0 (2.0) (5.2) (5.2) (5.1) 15.5
HKD M2 (in HKD) 1,856.7 4.8 4.2 4.8 9.8 8.5 9.9 9.9 9.9 19.3
HKD M3 (in HKD) 1,868.8 4.8 4.0 4.8 9.5 8.2 9.4 9.4 9.9 18.9
Spread (Prime-Hibor3) (pa) (%) na 2.50 1.87 2.22 3.09 2.97 3.63 1.86 1.71 3.07
Res. mortg. loans outstanding
(before adjusted to reclassification) na 6.58 7.0 6.58 8.2 7.9 9.6 9.6 28.3 18.9
(after adjusted to reclassification) 478.2 na na

na

na

na

na

na

na

na

Loans-to-Deposits Ratio (pa) (%)
(Total) na 92.4 94.3 93.8 98.5 106.6 114.4 128.8 158.1 164.2
(HKD) na 94.1 95.5 94.9 96.3 100.5 101.2 107.9 110.3 106.0
Foreign Currency Reserves^ (in US$bn) 90.4 90.4 89.2 90.4 88.6 89.5 89.6 89.6 93.2 69.6
Deposits 3,096.3 7.7 7.2 7.7 10.5 8.8 10.9 10.9 8.4 10.2
HKD Deposits @ 1,712.3 4.3 3.5 4.3 9.6 8.1 9.7 9.7 9.8 19.5
FC Deposits # 1,384.0 12.1 12.1 12.1 11.6 9.7 12.6 12.6 6.6 (0.4)
Loans & Advances 2,860.5 (14.9) (15.8) (14.9) (19.6) (18.1) (19.8) (19.8) 5.3 4.7
Loans in HKD 1,611.7 (5.6) (6.0) (5.6) (6.1) (3.6) (2.7) (2.7) 20.4 16.9
Loans in FC 1,248.8 (24.5) (25.6) (24.5) (32.1) (30.7) (32.3) (32.3) (3.6) (1.4)
Loans for use in HK1 1,952.6 (9.5) (9.8) (9.5) (10.1) (6.9) (5.5) (5.5) 22.6 16.0
Loans for use outside HK2 907.9 (24.6) (26.1) (24.6) (34.6) (34.3) (36.7) (36.7) (9.8) (3.4)
Loans for use in HK (eop) 1,952.6 (9.5) na (9.5) (10.1) (6.9) (5.5) (5.5) 22.6 15.9
To purchase residential properties 610.3 6.0 na 6.0 7.4 8.1 9.0 9.0 28.5 20.9
Property Development & Investment 381.2 (11.5) na (11.5) (13.1) (7.0) (5.5) (5.5) 33.4 26.0
Trade Finances1 121.5 (26.0) na (26.0) (28.2) (24.6) (22.7) (22.7) 4.2 6.7
Financial Concerns 191.0 (22.9) na (22.9) (25.5) (20.1) (10.9) (10.9) 26.2 16.7
Wholesale & Retail Trade 152.4 (18.7) na (18.7) (19.3) (13.5) (12.7) (12.7) 16.5 6.3
Manufacturing 81.8 (17.8) na (17.8) (19.3) (15.1) (14.4) (14.4) 2.7 7.6
Credit Card 35.7 7.5 na 7.5 7.3 11.9 14.0 14.0 29.0 17.3
Consumer Finance Ħħ 103.3 (10.6) na (10.6) (16.7) (13.9) (11.9) (11.9) 16.6 13.5
PRIVATE CONSUMPTION

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

8/99

8/99

7/99

Q2/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

Q3/98

1998

1997

1996

Retail Sales (Value)

$15.1bn

(7.7) (7.9) (8.0) (13.0) (18.9) (19.4) (16.8) 4.9 6.3
(Volume)

na

1.9 0.5 (1.8) (9.4) (16.7) (19.7) (16.8) 1.1 1.6
Restaurant Receipts (Value) $13.8bn(99Q2) na na (1.2) (2.0) (2.0) (4.4) (3.9) 6.0 5.0
(Volume) na na na 0.2 (1.0) (3.0) (5.9) (6.2) 2.0 2.0
Department Store (Value) na (19.0) (17.1) (15.4) (17.5) (25.5) (26.6) (26.5) (3.2) 4.5
(Volume) na (3.8) (5.9) (1.5) (8.5) (21.2) (28.5) (27.0) (9.3) (1.5)
Visitors Arrivals 0.95mn 10.0 9.7 9.5 11.1 5.5 10.5 (8.0) (11.1) 14.7
PROPERTY

% change, yoy, unless otherwise stated

Amount

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

9/99

9/99

8/99

Q3/99

Q2/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

1998

1997

1996

Sales & purchase agreements
Value
$13.2bn
(1.5)
(12.6)
1.9
(19.6)
(18.4)
(5.1)
(54.3)
83
79
Number
5,640
10.5
(3.4)
14.1
4.1
10.9
18.0
(50.2)
39
51
New res. mortg. approved of 33 AIs
Number, during the period
6,663
18.0
47
24.2
55.2
26.3
29.9
(34.9)
18.5
68.5
Value per loan, during the period
$1.44mn
2.1
(2.0)
(2.2)
(7.9)
(27.8)
(24.1)
(12.0)
27.2
6.8
Private residential
     Rental (official)
na
na
na
na
(16.5)
(19.7)
(26.2)
(16.5)
13.5
(1.7)
     Price (official)
na
7.4
3.5
4.1
(18.7)
(27.1)
(38.9)
(52.9)
40.9
9.6
          HK
$4,143/sf
9.1
0.4
2.9
(13.4)
(25.5)
(37.6)
(29.4)
na
na
          KL
$3,688/sf
8.3
3.7
3.7
(10.9)
(25.3)
(39.6)
(31.9)
na
na
          NT
$3,083/sf
9.5
3.9
4.9
(8.5)
(21.5)
(37.2)
(32.2)
na
na
Rental yield (%) :
HK
na
4.22
4.10
4.14
4.04
4.23
4.35
4.1
3.7
na
KL
na
4.79
4.78
4.70
4.42
4.49
4.62
4.5
3.9
na
NT
na
3.99
3.89
3.87
3.72
3.71
3.83
3.6
3.1
na
Residential construction completed (sq.m.), ytd
599.4thou.
Jun
66.0
Jun
32.2
May
na
32.1
7.7
1.1
22.9
(7)
(13)
Res.l construction consent to start work (sq.m.), ytd
586.2thou. Jun
(17.7)
Jun
(7.9)
May
na
7.6
79.7
57.8
(9.7)
54
54
MACRO INDICATORS

Amount

% change, yoy unless otherwise stated

($bn)

Monthly

Quarterly

Yearly

9/99

9/99

8/99

Q3/99

Q2/99

Q1/99

Q4/98

1998

1997

1996

GDP na na na na 0.7 (3.2) (5.6) (5.1) 5.0 4.5
Composite CPI na (6.0) (6.1) (5.9) (4.0) (1.8) (0.7) 2.8 5.8 6.3
Labour
Unemployment Rate (%) na 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.0 5.5 4.7 2.2 2.8
Unemployed ('000 people) na 224.0 220.6 220.3 214.4 207.6 194.1 157.6 71.3 86.1
External Trade
Total Exports 121.0 5.9 4.4 4.3 (5.9) (9.0) (13.6) (7.4) 4.2 4.0
     Domestic Exports 14.7 (8.4) (9.5) (9.7) (15.3) (12.2) (19.0) (10.9) (0.4) (8.4)
     Re-exports 106.3 8.3 6.7 6.8 (4.3) (8.5) (12.7) (6.9) 5.0 6.6
Total Imports 124.8 7.9 1.7 4.4 (11.3) (13.8) (18.2) (11.5) 5.2 3.0
Trade Balance (in $bn) (3.8) (3.8) 2.4 (6.4) (12.2) (12.9) (8.1) (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: 5th November, 1999)
Country Unemployment
Rate
Inflation
Rate
Real GNP/GDP
Growth Rate
Trade Balance
(US$ bn)
Money Supply
(narrow)
Prime Lending
Rate
US 4.2% (Sep) 2.6% (Sep) 3.9% (Q2) -30.60 (Aug) 1.7% (Sep) 8.25%
UK 5.9% (Aug) 1.1% (Sep) 1.8% (Q3) -3.05 (Aug) 7.5% (Aug) 5.5%
Euro-11 10.2% (Aug) 1.2% (Sep) 1.6% (Q2) 12.52 (Jul) 12.8% (Aug) 3.65%
Japan 4.7% (Aug) 0.3% (Aug) 0.8% (Q2) 9.91 (Aug) 13.0% (Sep) 1.375%
Australia 7.4% (Sep) 1.7% (Q3) 4.1% (Q2) -0.81 (Aug) 7.2% (Aug) 7.75%
Canada 7.5% (Sep) 2.6% (Sep) 3.7% (Q2) 2.40 (Aug) 3.1% (Aug) 6.25%
China 3.1%* -0.8% (Sep) 7.0% (Q3) 3.3 (Sep) 14.8% (Sep) 5.85%**
Hong Kong 6.1% (Jul-Sep) -6.0% (Sep) 0.7% (Q2) -0.49 (Sep) 10.5% (Sep) 8.5%
* Official figure, end of 1998
** One-year lending rate

Chart 1: Property loans are more than ever become the main source of interest income of the banking industry.


Chart 2: Loan growth is weak across the board. Even the usually strong credit card advances pose a record low growth.



Chart 3: Property market became more sluggish during the third quarter this year, with prices declined by a monthly average of about 1.8%.