London, Feb 11, 2026, 08:18 GMT — Trading session ongoing
- In early London trading, HSBC shares climbed roughly 0.5%.
- The bank has set Feb. 25 for its 2025 annual results and will decide on a fourth interim dividend then.
- Traders are keeping an eye on rate-cut bets alongside the tone of UK bank earnings.
HSBC shares nudged up around 0.5% early Wednesday in London, trading near 1,313 pence.
The stock is now heading toward a key date: HSBC announced a board committee will convene on Feb. 25 to review the final results for 2025 and decide on a possible fourth interim dividend. If they give the green light, the dividend would go out April 30 to shareholders recorded by March 13, including American depositary share owners in New York.
This is significant as HSBC just had a strong stretch that left little room for unexpected moves. Its shares reached an all-time peak in late January, pushing the bank’s market cap over $300 billion briefly. That surge put HSBC in contention for the FTSE 100’s top spot.
HSBC plans to release its Annual Results 2025 at 4 a.m. GMT on February 25, with a follow-up session for investors and analysts scheduled for 7:45 a.m. GMT.
HSBC ended Tuesday at 1,306 pence, dropping 0.97% after moving in line with the wider sector decline.
UK bank stocks faced selective pressure this week as specific news made waves. Standard Chartered fell on Tuesday following the departure of CFO Diego De Giorgi. BP’s shares also slid after it halted buybacks, dragging the FTSE 100 down with it.
Barclays, a major player in the UK market, reported higher profits for 2025 and unveiled fresh targets, aiming for a return on tangible equity exceeding 14% by 2028. Finance director Anna Cross told reporters the bank has “a number of levers” to cushion any blow from a proposed U.S. cap on credit card fees. Reuters
Macro factors are back in play, largely driven by rates. Treasuries jumped following weaker U.S. retail sales, pushing traders to raise bets on rate cuts. The U.S. payrolls report, delayed, is set for release later Wednesday.
In the UK, banks face the challenge of maintaining guidance as the boost from rate hikes starts to wane. Peter Rothwell, head of banking at KPMG UK, noted that lenders have enjoyed “earnings resilience lasting longer than initially expected.” Some analysts now suggest that targets could climb even higher, focusing on return on tangible equity—a key profitability metric that excludes goodwill and intangibles—which remains closely watched by investors. Reuters
But the math can flip fast. Sharper rate cuts would tighten net interest income — the gap between what banks make on loans versus what they pay on deposits — and a spike in bad loans would hit earnings directly, cutting into payout capacity.
Outside London, HSBC’s shares took a hit. In Hong Kong, the stock slipped HK$1.20 to HK$139.10. Over in New York, the ADR fell $1.23 to $89.49, according to Refinitiv data on the bank’s investor page.
