Vise Technologies Inc. Buys 19,928 Shares of HSBC Holdings plc $HSBC

Key Points

• Vise Technologies increased its stake in HSBC by 51.2% in the fourth quarter, adding 19,928 shares to bring its total holding to 58,865 shares worth about $4.63 million.
• Other institutions also boosted HSBC holdings, but analysts remain mixed: HSBC currently has an average Hold rating, with five Buy ratings and six Hold ratings among tracked analysts.
• HSBC is facing several near-term pressures, including reports of tighter scrutiny on Hong Kong bank accounts and a whistleblower allegation involving HSBC Bank USA, though its recent dividend remains at $0.50 per share quarterly.

Vise Technologies Inc. grew its stake in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC - Free Report) by 51.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 58,865 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 19,928 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc.'s holdings in HSBC were worth $4,631,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in HSBC by 101.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 26,822 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,904,000 after purchasing an additional 13,495 shares during the period. Foresight Global Investors Inc. purchased a new position in HSBC in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $12,810,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in HSBC by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,311,820 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $93,113,000 after purchasing an additional 168,438 shares during the period. AMJ Financial Wealth Management increased its stake in HSBC by 91.0% in the 3rd quarter. AMJ Financial Wealth Management now owns 118,837 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $8,435,000 after purchasing an additional 56,624 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in HSBC by 85.2% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 27,175 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,929,000 after purchasing an additional 12,501 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 1.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HSBC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane cut HSBC from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of HSBC in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings cut HSBC from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research cut HSBC from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on HSBC in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, HSBC currently has an average rating of "Hold".

HSBC News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting HSBC this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Hong Kong banks may face stricter scrutiny on mainland Chinese clients sparked concern over reduced account growth, cross-border deposits, and fee revenue for HSBC. HSBC, AIA Slump After Report of Hong Kong Bank Account Curbs
• Negative Sentiment: HSBC was also mentioned in connection with a whistleblower allegation against HSBC Bank USA involving possible Sarbanes-Oxley violations, adding another legal and compliance overhang. Whistleblower Accuses HSBC Bank USA of Sarbanes-Oxley Violations
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi said the recent decline in HSBC and Standard Chartered may be excessive, suggesting the market reaction could be overdone if the account-opening concerns prove limited. HSBC and StanChart sell-off overdone, says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC also appeared in routine capital-markets notices from its Continental Europe unit, which are not likely to materially affect the stock. HSBC Continental Europe: Post Stabilisation Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC Research also published a macro view on India’s potential need for dollar inflows to support the rupee, which is informative but not a direct earnings driver for the bank’s shares. India may need up to $70 bn in inflows as policymakers weigh rupee-support package: HSBC

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Daniel Scott Palomaki sold 23,123 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.11, for a total transaction of $418,757.53. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,973 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $90,061.03. The trade was a 82.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company's stock.

HSBC Price Performance

HSBC opened at $90.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. HSBC Holdings plc has a 52-week low of $58.14 and a 52-week high of $95.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $312.22 billion, a PE ratio of 14.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.56. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $89.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $83.97.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The financial services provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. HSBC had a return on equity of 13.35% and a net margin of 16.06%.The firm had revenue of $19.13 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts predict that HSBC Holdings plc will post 8.55 EPS for the current year.

HSBC Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. HSBC's payout ratio is 32.46%.

HSBC Company Profile

HSBC Holdings plc NYSE: HSBC is a multinational banking and financial services organization headquartered in London. It traces its origins to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, founded in 1865 to facilitate trade between Europe and Asia, and has since grown into one of the world's largest banking groups. The company is publicly listed in multiple markets, including the London Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and as an American depositary receipt on the New York Stock Exchange.

HSBC operates a universal banking model, serving retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.

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