Shares of HSBC Holdings HSBC have gained more than 17% since it divested its Canadian unit to Royal Bank of Canada RY for C$13.5 billion on March 29, 2024. In the same time frame, the industry has rallied nearly 10%.

HSBC’s Divestiture of Canadian Business

The deal, announced in November 2022, resulted in a gain on sale of $4.8 billion in the first quarter of 2024. The gain included the recycling of $0.6 billion in foreign currency (FX) translation reserve losses and $0.4 billion in other reserves losses. It also comprised $0.3 billion in fair value gains recognized on the related FX hedges.

The transaction, which received Canadian regulatory approvals in December 2023, had been under intense scrutiny for its potential impact on competition in the country. It bolstered the Royal Bank of Canada's position in a market where the top six banks control around 80% of banking assets. The consent was conditioned on several steps to be taken by the Royal Bank of Canada following the deal’s completion.

Further, following the closure of this transaction, HSBC announced a special dividend of 21 cents per share. This was paid out in June 2024 alongside the first interim dividend.

Rational Behind Disposal of HSBC Canada

The divestiture is part of HSBC’s business restructuring and Asia pivot strategy initiative. The company has been aggressively restructuring its global footprint to reduce costs and complexity as part of this effort.

HSBC's strategic pivot toward Asia has involved divesting significant assets globally. The bank has sold its retail operations in the United States, Canada, France, New Zealand, Greece and Russia. 

In September, HSBC signed an agreement to sell its private banking business in Germany to BNP Paribas. In April 2024, it announced plans to divest its Argentina business, and in February, the company agreed to sell its Armenian unit.

HSBC intends to reinvest the proceeds from the divestitures in expanding its presence in Southeast Asia and China, where the bank believes it can leverage its existing strengths to drive growth. In sync with this, in June 2024, the company acquired Citigroup's retail wealth management business in China.

By consolidating its operations and concentrating on Asia, HSBC aims to enhance shareholder returns and maintain long-term growth in a more competitive environment.

HSBC currently has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

(We are reissuing this article to correct a mistake. The original article “HSBC Plans to Expand Private Wealth Management Business in Canada,” issued on Oct. 10, 2024, should no longer be relied upon.)