XN000022-1981-07-10 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1961

LOANS IN HONG KONG

TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES IN HONG KONG GREW BY 6.8% IN MAY, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 1.2% IN APRIL. IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES IN HONG KONG ROSE BY 11.2%, COMPARED WITH AN INCREASE OF 12.7% RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTHS.

PANK LOANS IN HONG KONG ROSE IN MAY BY 6.4% AND LOANS IN HONG KONG BY DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BY 8.4%, AGAINST THE INCREASES OF 0.5% AND 3.5% IN APRIL RESPECTIVELY. IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS BANK LOANS IN HONG KONG EXPANDED BY 9.8% AND LOANS IN HONG KONG BY DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BY 16.0%. AFTER INCREASING BY 13.7% AND 9.6%, RESPECTIVELY, IN THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTHS.

FOREIGN ASSETS

THE NET IDENTIFIABLE FOREIGN ASSETS OF ALL BANKS ROSE IN MAY BY $138MN, AND THOSE OF DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BY $160MN, INDICATING A NET INFLOW OF FUNDS INTO THE HONG KONG MONETARY SECTOR OF $298MN, AFTER A NET INFLOW OF $1 631MN IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

BALANCE SHEET RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL BANKS IN HONG KONG ROSE FURTHER IN MAY TO 49.4% FROM 47.6% IN APRIL. THE LOAN/DEPOS IT RATIO ALSO ROSE TO 119.5% AT THE END OF MAY FROM 113.4% AT THE END OF APRIL.

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE IN MAY TO 45.9% FROM 45.6% IN APRIL. THE LOAN/DEPOSIT RATIO, HOWEVER, FELL TO 65.8% AT THE END OF MAY FROM 70.3% AT THE END OF APRIL, REFLECTING THE FAST EXPANSION IN DEPOSITS WITH DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES DURING THE MONTH.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING BANKS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN APRIL AT 115. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE BY 2 DURING THE MONTH TO 344.

/MONEY