HSBC more than doubles profits to £7bn

HSBC said losses on loans turned sour fell 46 per cent (DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA)

Banking giant HSBC today said it more than doubled half-year profits to 11.1 billion US dollars (£7 billion) in the first six months of this year.

The bigger-than-expected surplus came amid mounting political furore over the industry's support for business, although HSBC claimed it had lent more to Britain's small firms since the start of the year.

The pressure on banks to show they are freeing up credit is unlikely to ease as HSBC's performance meant UK players are on course to report a combined half-year profits haul in excess of £10 billion this week.

HSBC, which generates a large slice of its profits from emerging markets, increased profits by 121% year-on-year in the first six months of 2010 - or 34% - to 10 billion dollars (£6.3 billion) on an underlying basis.

The UK side of the business saw underlying profits rise 23% to £593 million.

The global results were helped by a sharp fall in bad debts, which dropped to their lowest level since the financial crisis, according to HSBC.

The leap in profits came despite a drop in trading revenues at its investment banking division, which was hit by "exceptional" stock market volatility in the second quarter of the year.

Today's profits follow a warning from Chancellor George Osborne yesterday that banks had an "economic obligation" to lend to businesses.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has called for dividends and bonuses to be targeted in a "carrot and stick" approach to boost lending to cash-strapped small firms.

HSBC risked stoking anger further by revealing a 39% hike in staff pay and bonuses at its Global Banking and Markets (GBM) division, to 2.5 billion dollars (£1.6 billion) since the end of 2009.

It set aside total pay and benefits of 9.8 billion dollars (£6.2 billion) across the group, up 7% on a year earlier.

Michael Geoghegan, HSBC group chief executive, said the bank was braced for "intense public and political scrutiny".

He added the banking sector and regulators had a "responsibility" to take the next steps to free up the flow of credit and support the wider economy.

Lending was up 4% across all regions since the end of last year and HSBC said demand for credit among businesses had increased, despite recent suggestions from the sector that there is a lack of appetite for borrowing.

"This is now feeding through into lending growth - a trend we expect to continue," HSBC said.

Gross new lending to small businesses rose 38% to £1.4 billion in the half-year, although this figure does not include loans paid back.

The sector claims lending is being held back by rules requiring them to hold greater amounts of capital on their balance sheets.

"With regulatory change ahead, capital and funding strength will become even more important in deciding which banks can grow and which are left behind. Maintaining our strong balance sheet therefore remains core to our banking philosophy," said Mr Geoghegan.

Shares in HSBC lifted 5%, while there were stock market gains across the board for UK banks as investors cheered the prospect of a strong earnings season.

HSBC is the first of the major banks to report half-year figures, followed by nationalised Northern Rock tomorrow, Lloyds Banking Group on Wednesday, Barclays on Thursday and Royal Bank of Scotland on Friday.

Richard Hunter, head of UK equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: "Today's numbers underline the overall strength of the bank, whilst the dramatic reduction in the loan impairment provision is an additional bonus."

HSBC is heavily focused on Asia and said much of the growth came from emerging markets, but it is largely benefiting from sharply lower charges on bad debts.

Impairment charges dropped 46% to 7.5 billion dollars (£4.7 billion) as the global economic recovery saw borrowers struggle less with their repayments.

It held revenues flat since the second half of 2009, but saw a fall year-on-year after its GBM investment banking arm bore the brunt of tough market conditions. Profits in the division fell 13% on a year earlier.

The group saw growth across all its international operations, except an 80 million dollar (£51 million) loss in the US, where it has suffered mammoth impairment charges since the sub-prime mortgage market collapse and subsequent financial crisis.

Its UK business - where HSBC pledged to refurbish more than 200 branches - accounted for 52% of the 2.8 billion dollars (£1.8 billion) profits notched up across Europe.

HSBC was the first to flag up the sub-prime mortgage meltdown in the US, but avoided turning to the Government for bail-out cash.

Instead it tapped shareholders for a mammoth £12.5 billion last April to shore up its balance sheet following the financial crisis.