MONDAY, MAY 5, 1986
HONG KONG DOLLAR MONEY SUPPLY
HONG KONG DOLLAR MONEY SUPPLY M1 FELL BY 2.0 PER CENT AFTER DECREASING BY 2.4 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. THE FALL IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH IS IN LINE WITH THE SEASONAL PATTERN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. HK$M2 AND HK$M3 ALSO FELL, BY 0.6 PER CENT AND 1.0 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 0.2 PER CENT FOR BOTH OF THEM IN FEBRUARY.
IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, HK$M1 GREW BY 0.1 PER CENT WHILE HK$M2 AND HK$M3 GREW BY 2.9 PER CENT AND 2.5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER THE 12 MONTHS, THE CORRESPONDING INCREASES WERE 15.8 PER CENT, 12.2 PER CENT AND 11.2 PER CENT.
AFTER ADJUSTING FOR SWAP DEPOSITS, HK$M2 AND HK$M3 FELL BY
IN THE 0.3 PER CENT AND 0.6 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY, IN MARCH. THREE MOMTHS TO MARCH, THE, CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATES WERE 3.7 PER CENT AND 3.3 PER CENT.
TOTAL MONEY SUPPLY
TOTAL MONEY SUPPLY FELL ON ALL COUNTS. TOTAL M1 FELL BY 2.7 PER CENT, AFTER A DECREASE OF 0.7 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY TOTAL M2 AND TOTAL M3 FELL BY 0.1 PER CENT AND 0.5 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, AFTER GROWING BY 2.3 PER CENT AND 2.1 PER CENT IN THE PRECEDING MONTH. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, TOTAL Mi GREW BY 1.3 PER CENT, TOTAL M2 BY 5.9 PER CENT, AND TOTAL M3 BY 5.1 PER CENT OVER THE 12 MONTHS, THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATES WERE 16.7 PER CENT, 24.2 PER CENT AND 22.5 PER CENT.
LOANS AND ADVANCES
LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES GREW BY 1.5 PER CENT IN MARCH, AFTER INCREASING BY 1.3 PER CENT AND 1.6 PER CENT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH THESE GREW BY 4.4 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS BY 7.6 PER CENT.
LOANS DENOMINATED IN HONG KONG DOLLARS GREW BY 0.7 PER CENT IN MARCH, FOLLOWING AN INCREASE OF 0.5 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. LOANS DENOMINATED IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES GREW FASTER. BY 2.3 PER CENT IN MARCH, AGAINST AN INCREASE OF 2.6 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY- IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, THE FORMER GREW BY 1.9 PER CENT WHILE THE LATTER BY 6.9 PER CENT.
WITHIN THE TOTAL, LOANS TO FINANCE THE VISIBLE TRADE OF HONG KONG GREW FASTER, BY 2.4 PER CENT, AFTER A DECREASE OF 0.4 PER CENT IN JANUARY AND AN INCREASE OF 1.3 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY.
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