HSBC launches first retail online bond platform for HK clients
HSBC has launched the first real-time bond trading platform for retail investors in Hong Kong.
Accessible via HSBC's Personal Internet Banking, HSBC’s ‘Online Retail Bond Trading Platform’ allows investors to execute real-time trades for a wide choice of bonds and certificates of deposits (CDs). It also provides investors with in-depth information on bond markets.
Bruno Lee, HSBC’s regional head of wealth management Asia Pacific, said: “Investors in Hong Kong are becoming more sophisticated and continue to diversify their portfolios into broad asset classes.
“As retail investors continue to evolve they will require user-friendly, one-stop trading platforms to take full advantage of market movements.”
The platform offers a wide range of investment grade bonds and CDs, with up to seven currencies for selection including the Hong Kong dollar, sterling and US dollar. While offering short-tenor corporate bonds and government bonds, the service also includes a subscription amounts as low as HK$50,000.
Lee added: “Globally, bonds are an all-weather wealth management tool that can play an important role in stablising a retail investor’s portfolio.
“It can provide regular income while serving as a useful risk mitigation instrument in a volatile investment environment. In recent years, we have seen increasing demand for bonds from local retail investors. Customers have been interested in HK dollar and US dollar bonds, which can help them earn better yield than normal deposits and minimise the risk exposure to currency fluctuation. There has also been keen interest in and strong demand for RMB bonds.”