XN000022-1986-05-05 — Page 6

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MONDAY, MAY 5, 1986

IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, THESE LOANS GREW BY 3.3 PER CENT, BUT OVER THE 12 MONTHS, THERE WAS A FALL OF 0.4 PER CENT.

OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG, HOWEVER, SHOWED ALMOST NO CHANGE IN MARCH, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 1.5 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, THEY GREW BY 2.4 PER CENT AND OVER THE 12 MONTHS BY 7.4 PER CENT.

QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS AND ADVANCES FOR USE IN HONG KONG

BY SECTOR

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986, LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR INCREASED BY 7.4 PER CENT, REVERSING

OVER THE THE FALL RECORDED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER LAST YEAR.

LOANS 12 MONTHS TO MARCH THESE LOANS GREW BY 9.2 PER CENT. TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES ROSE MORE RAPIDLY. BY 9.9 PER CENT FOLLOWING AN INCREASE OF 3.9 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1985. OVER THE 12 MONTHS THESE LOANS GREW BY 17.1 PER CENT.

LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR FELL FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE QUARTER, BY 5.3 PER CENT FOLLOWING A DECLINE OF 8.3 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1985. OVER THE 12 MONTHS THESE LOANS FELL BY 18.8 PER CENT.

REFLECTING THE CONTINUED STRENGTH OF THE PROPERTY MARKET, LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR THE PURCHASE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY (OTHER THAN FLATS IN THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME) CONTINUED TO RISE, BY 4.3 PER CENT, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 5.2 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER LAST YEAR. OVER THE 12 MONTHS THESE LOANS GREW BY 25.2 PER CENT.

LIQUIDITY RATIOS

THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO (AS DEFINED IN S. 18 OF THE BANKING ORDINANCE) FOR ALL BANKS INCREASED TO 51.3 PER CENT IN MARCH FROM 50.9 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY. THE AVERAGE LIQUIDITY RATIO FOR ALL DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES (AS DEFINED IN S. 24A OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE) FELL TO 43.7 PER CENT IN MARCH FROM 44.4 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING LICENSED BANKS REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 147. THE NUMBER OF LICENSED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 36. THE NUMBER OF REPORTING REGISTERED DEPOSIT- TAKING COMPANIES INCREASED BY TWO TO 279.

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