UK 13:37 Sunday, 27 September 2026
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Disclosure: I own shares in one or more of the stocks mentioned. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from ShareProphets). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
What first attracted me to HSBC (HSBA) as a tip of the year? The fact that I knew how cold and ruthless it could be. I have a certain amount of ‘inside information’ on this. When you look at HSBC... there is often something quite clinical about it. My sister has a bank account with HSBC... you would be hard pressed to easily find that it pays no interest at all. “This account pays no credit interest” it says in the small print. However, if she went overdrawn she’d be charged around 18% every year.
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Comments
CPPH
Personally I’d stay clear of HSBC. The deferred prosecution agreement with the US government is a sword of Damocles just waiting to drop! The bank is just way way too big to properly govern and regulate. Whilst they are exiting some jurisdictions it’s not enough in my opinion. All it takes is someone in some dodgy little backwater somewhere to do something to piss the yanks off and it’s bye bye to the ability to trade dollars and therefore bye bye HSBC. I think US lawmakers would love to make an example of someone and you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be a US bank.
Not saying this is definitely going to happen but it’s enough of a risk for me to look elsewhere.