Director Shareholding

HSBC Holdings PLC
27 May 2003


                                              Date of notification : 27 May 2003

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                   NOTIFICATION OF DIRECTORS' SHARE INTERESTS

                              IN HSBC HOLDINGS PLC

Interests in shares of HSBC Holdings plc ("the Company") arising under sections
324 and 328 of the Companies Act 1985.

Following the acquisition of Household International, Inc. ("Household") by HSBC
Holdings plc, outstanding options over Household shares granted (for nil
consideration) have been converted into options to acquire HSBC Holdings plc
ordinary shares of US$0.50 each ("HSBC shares"). The HSBC (Household) Employee
Benefit Trust 2003 ("the Trust"), the Trustee of which is James Capel Nominees
Limited, has acquired HSBC shares which may be used to satisfy the exercise of
these options.

Mr W F Aldinger, a director of HSBC Holdings plc, currently holds options over
13,136,925 HSBC shares.

As a beneficiary of the Trust, Mr Aldinger also has a technical interest in all
of the HSBC shares held by the Trust:

HSBC Holdings plc - Ordinary Shares US$0.50 each

Date of transaction         Nature of transaction by the Trust                              Consideration

23 May 2003                 Transfer by the Trust of 4,013 HSBC shares to an individual     US$4.16
                            exercising options.

23 May 2003                 Transfer by the Trust of 1,338 HSBC shares to an individual     US$5.09
                            exercising options.

At 23 May 2003, after this transaction, the Trust held a total of 16,991,105
HSBC shares.





Paul Stafford, Assistant Group Secretary

020 7992 1509


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