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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1985

QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS AND ADVANCES FOR USE IN HONG KONG

DURING THE FIRST QUARTER, LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ROSE BY 3.3 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A FALL OF 4.5 PER CENT DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1984. LOANS TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES FELL BY 1.9 PER CENT AFTER A STRONG YEAR-END SEASONAL INCREASE OF 10.2 PER CENT DURING THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR FELL FURTHER, BY 2.9 PER CENT, AFTER A FALL OF 0.7 PER CENT DURING THE LAST QUARTER. LOANS TO PURCHASE RESIDENTI AL PROPERTY OTHER THAN FLATS IN THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME ROSE BY 3.2 PER CENT AFTER AN INCREASE OF 3.8 PER CENT DURING THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

THE SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY POSITION OF THE MONETARY SECTOR SHOWED NET ASSETS OF $7.4 BILLION AT THE END OF MARCH, SIMILAR STATISTICS COLLECTED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING AND DEPOSIT- TAKING COMPANIES (ON THE BASIS OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS) SHOWED NET SPOT FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF $4.8 BILLION AND NET FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY ASSETS OF $23.0 BILLION. THESE FIGURES WERE ALL HIGHER THAN CORRESPONDING FIGURES IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

LIQUIDITY RATIO

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS ROSE TO 50.2 PER CENT, FROM 49.1 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH, THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES WAS ALSO HIGHER, AT 53.0 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH 47.1 PER CENT A MONTH EARLIER.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS REMAINED UNCHANGED IN MARCH, WITH 140 LICENSED BANKS, 33 LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES AND 306 REGISTERED DÉPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES.

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