XN000022-1986-02-03 — Page 9

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1986

QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS AND ADVANCES FOR USE IN HONG KONG BY

SECTOR

IN THE FOURTH QUARTER

LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR FELL BY 3.4 PER CENT, OFFSETTING THE INCREASE

OVER THE YEAR THESE LOANS GREW BY RECORDED IN THE THIRD QUARTER. 5 PER CENT. LOANS TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES ROSE BY 3.9 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A MARGINAL DECLINE OF 0.6 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR THESE LOANS GREW BY 4.6 PER CENT. PROBABLY BECAUSE OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE CASH FLOW POSITION OF SOME PROPERTY DEVELOPERS, LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR FELL FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE QUARTER, BY A SIGNIFICANT 8.3 PER CENT, FOLLOWING A DECLINE OF 4.1 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR THESE LOANS FELL BY 16.7 PER CENT. REFLECTING THE REVIVAL OF THE PROPERTY MARKET, LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR THE PURCHASE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY (OTHER THAN FLATS IN THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME) CONTINUED TO RISE STRONGLY, BY 5.2 PER CENT, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 7.2 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR THESE LOANS GREW BY 23.8 PER CENT.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS FELL TO 50.7 PER CENT IN

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY DECEMBER FROM 51.6 PER CENT IN NOVEMBER. RATIO FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAXING COMPANIES (AS DEFINED IN S. 24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FELL TO 45.3 PER CENT IN DECEMBER FROM 46.3 PER CENT IN NOVEMBER.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS AND LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 143 AND 35 RESPECTIVELY. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES FELL BY 2 TO 278.

TABLE 1: