I
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1985
TOTAL MONEY SUPPLY
TOTAL MONEY SUPPLY ON ALL DEFINITIONS GREW FURTHER IN JULY, TOTAL M1 INCREASED BY 1.4 PER CENT, TOTAL M2 BY 1.9 PER CENT AND TOTAL M3 BY 2.3 PER CENT. THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATES IN JUNE WERE FIVE PER CENT, 1.3 PER CENT AND 1.6 PER CENT. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY, TOTAL M1 GREW BY 9.1 PER CENT, TOTAL M2 BY 5.5 PER CENT AND TOTAL M3 BY 5.9 PER CENT.
LOANS AND ADVANCES
LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES FELL BY A MARGINAL 0.1 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A MODEST INCREASE OF 0.4 PER CENT IN JUNE. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY THESE LOANS GREW BY 1.2 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS BY 5.8 PER CENT.
WITHIN THE TOTAL, LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE OF HONG KONG DECLINED FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH, BY 1.8 PER CENT IN JULY, FOLLOWING A FALL OF 2.1 PER CENT IN JUNE AND TWO PER CENT IN MAY. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY, THESE LOANS FELL BY 5.8 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS BY 8.4 PER CENT.
OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG, HOWEVER, CONTINUED TO GROW, ALBEIT SLOWLY, BY 0.7 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A 0.8 PER CENT INCREASE IN JUNE. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY, THEY ROSE BY 2.2 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS BY 7.4 PER CENT.
LIQUIDITY RATIO
THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANK ING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS FELL TO 49.5 PER CENT IN JULY FROM 50.6 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL FURTHER TO 41.8 PER CENT FROM 42.3 PER CENT A MONTH EARLIER.
NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS
THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS WAS UNCHANGED AT 141. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY ONE TO 33, WHILE THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL BY 20 TO 286.
/4