XN000022-1981-05-08 — Page 6

FORE IGN ASSETS

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FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1981

THE NET IDENTIFIABLE FOREIGN ASSETS OF ALL BANKS FELL IN MARCH BY $3 885MN, WHILE THOSE OF DTCS ROSE BY $2 037MN, SUGGESTING A NET OUTFLOW OF FUNDS FROM THE HONG KONG MONETARY SECTOR OF $1 848MN, AGAINST AN OUTFLOW OF $1 289MN IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH. THE NET OUTFLOW OF FUNDS FROM HONG KONG IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1981 AMOUNTED TO $4 111MN, AS COMPARED WITH A NET OUTFLOW OF $3 977MN IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1980.

BALANCE SHEET RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL BANKS IN HONG KONG ROSE IN MARCH TO 46.4 PER CENT FROM 46.1 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. THE LOAN/DEPOSIT RATIO ROSE FURTHER TO 113.1 PER CENT AT THE END OF MARCH FROM 112.1 PER CENT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL DTCS FELL IN MARCH TO 44.2 PER CENT FROM 45.0 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY, THE LOAN/DEPOSIT RATIO, HOWEVER, ROSE TO 68.8 PER CENT AT THE END OF MARCH FROM 67.7 PER CENT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.

QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LENDING IN HONG KONG BY SECTOR

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1981, LOANS TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ROSE BY 14.7 PER CENT, WELL UP FROM A 8.9 PER CENT RISE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1980. LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR EXPANDED BY 21.3 PER CENT, DOWN FROM AN INCREASE OF 26.3 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. LOANS TO THE TRANSPORT AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT SECTOR FELL BY 4.3 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AFTER A RISE OF 1.3 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

BORROWING BY INDIVIDUALS TO PURCHASE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ROSE BY 8.6 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1981, DOWN FROM AN INCREASE OF 15.8 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1980. BORROWING BY INDIVIDUALS FOR OTHER PURPOSES, HOWEVER, ROSE FURTHER BY 17.2 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AFTER RISING BY 3.1 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING BANKS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN MARCH AT 115. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY ANOTHER 15 DURING THE MONTH TO 332.

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