XN000022-1984-08-31 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 1984

LOANS AND ADVANCES

TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES INCREASED BY 1.2 PER CENT FOLLOWING AN INCREASE OF 0.4 PER CENT IN JUNE. THE INCREASE IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY WAS 2.4 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS, 12.1 PER CENT.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ROBUST EXPORT PERFORMANCE, LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE INCREASED FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH, BY 1.5 PER CENT.

IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY THE INCREASE WAS 9.4 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS 22.0 PER CENT. OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG CONTINUED TO GROW ONLY MODESTLY, WITH A RISE OF 0.8 PER CENT, THE SAME AS IN JUNE. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO JULY THE INCREASE WAS 1.9 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS THE INCREASE WAS 6.1 PER CENT.

FORE IGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

THE NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY LIABILITIES OF THE MONETARY SECTOR, ROSE TO $12.2 BILLION AT THE END OF JULY FROM $11.3 BILLION AT THE END OF JUNE. STATISTICS COLLECTED (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES SHOW A SHARP INCREASE, OF $4.0 BILLION, MORE THAN MATCHED BY A RISE OF $4.6 BILLION, TO $37.1 BILLION, IN NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF THE MONETARY SECTOR. THESE FIGURES ARE SUGGESTIVE OF RENEWED ACTIVITY IN SWAP DEPOSITS IN JULY.

LIQUIDITY RATIO

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.18 OF THE BANK ING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS WAS 50.8 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH 50.4 PER CENT IN JUNE. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S.24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCES) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL SLIGHTLY TO 47.5 PER CENT FROM 48.9 PER CENT IN JUNE.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF LICENSED BANKS AND LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAK ING COMPANIES IN OPERATION EACH ROSE BY ONE, TO 135 AND 30 RESPECTIVELY. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ALSO ROSE, TO 317: THERE WERE TWO NEW REGISTRATIONS IN THE MONTH, WHILE ONE COMPANY CHANGED TO LICENSED STATUS.

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