HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc (Chinese: 滙豐; lit. 'focus of wealth') is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business links to East Asia and a multinational footprint. According to S&P Global's April 2026 report, HSBC is Europe's 2nd largest bank by assets, with $3.212 trillion in assets. This also puts it as the 8th largest bank in the world by total assets behind Bank of America, and the 3rd largest non-state owned bank in the world. HSBC traces its origins to a hong trading house in British Hong Kong. The bank was established in 1865 in Hong Kong and opened branches in Shanghai in the same year. It was formally incorporated in 1866 as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. In 1991, the current parent company, HSBC Holdings plc, was established in London and the historic Hong Kong–based bank from which the group took its name became that entity's wholly owned subsidiary. The following year (1992), HSBC took over Midland Bank, becoming one of the largest domestic banks in the United Kingdom. HSBC has offices, branches and subsidiaries in 57 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America, serving around 39 million customers. As of 2025, it was ranked number 15 in the world in the Forbes Global 2000, a ranking of large companies made by Forbes by sales, profits, assets, and market value. HSBC has a primary share listing on the London Stock Exchange and branch listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Bermuda Stock Exchange. Its shares are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange through the American depositary receipt programme. It is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index and the FTSE 100 Index.