XN000022-1983-11-04 — Page 6

FRIDAY, SUV, 198j

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QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG

IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1983, LOANS EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES GREW BY A SUBSTANTIAL 15.6 PER CENT, IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE DECLINE OF 4.1 PER CENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

THE INCREASE WAS PARTLY SEASONAL BUT MAY ALSO BE INDICATIVE OF A POSSIBLE REVIVAL OF CONSUMER DEMAND.

LOANS TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR GREW BY ONLY 2.0 PER CENT FOLLOWING A 1.8 PER CENT GROWTH IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

LOANS TO FINANCE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ROSE BY 4.6 PER CENT, AGAINST A FALL OF 2.1 PER CENT

IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

GROWTH OF LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR THE PURCHASE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, AT 6.3 PER CENT, CONTINUED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL, ALTHOUGH THIS IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH OF 7.4 PER CENT RECORDED IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION

THE SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION OF THE MONETARY SECTOR SHOWED NET LIABILITIES OF $28.3 BILLION AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, COMPARED WITH $25,0 BILLION AT THE END OF AUGUST.

BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD NET LIABILITIES OF $20.5 BILLION AND $7.7 BILLION RESPECTIVELY.

STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES SHOWED THAT AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, THE MONETARY SECTOR HAD NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF $30.6 BILLION WHICH WAS MORE THAN COVERED BY NET FORWARD ASSETS OF $56.0 BILLION.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS ROSE TO 49.7 PER CENT FROM 48.5 PER CENT IN AUGUST.

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO. (AS DEFINED IN S.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANY ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ROSE TO 68.0 PER CENT FROM 66.2 PER CENT IN AUGUST.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS WAS UNCHANGED AT 133.

THE NUMBER OF LICENSED DEPOS IT-TAKING COMPANIES INCREASED BY 1 TO 30 AND THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL BY 1 TO 319.

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