Disp of HSBC Can. Direct Ins.

HSBC Holdings PLC
02 March 2004

                        CANADIAN WESTERN BANK TO ACQUIRE
                         HSBC CANADIAN DIRECT INSURANCE

Canadian Western Bank and HSBC Bank Canada have signed a letter of intent for
Canadian Western Bank to acquire all of the shares of HSBC Canadian Direct
Insurance Incorporated (Canadian Direct) for a cash payment of C$25.4 million.
The transaction is expected to close in 4 to 6 weeks, subject to definitive
documentation and regulatory approval.

Canadian Direct, a subsidiary of HSBC Bank Canada, offers property and casualty
insurance directly to consumers in British Columbia and Alberta. Canadian Direct
had C$105 million of balance sheet assets at 31 December 2003 and C$36 million
of net earned premiums for the year then ended. The purchase price incorporates
a 25 per cent premium over book value and Canadian Western Bank expects the
acquisition to be accretive to earnings in the current fiscal year.

The acquisition brings together Canadian Western Bank and Canadian Direct, two
firms with a strong commitment to providing the highest customer service
standards in their respective industries. It also creates a platform for both
organisations to broaden their product and service offerings. The transition is
expected to be essentially seamless, as Canadian Direct will continue to run as
a stand-alone operation with no disruption to customers or employees.

Larry Pollock, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Western Bank,
said: "We are delighted to welcome senior management, employees and over 125,000
customers of Canadian Direct to the Canadian Western Bank Group. Canadian Direct
registers a very high level of customer satisfaction and its people are of
exceptional quality, making it an ideal fit with our Think Western brand and
culture. We believe the potential for this company is excellent and we are very
pleased to be adding another dimension to our financial services. Most notably,
we anticipate that the addition of Canadian Direct will contribute substantially
to the Bank's revenues, with other income expected to increase by more than
fifty per cent."

Lindsay Gordon, President and Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bank Canada, said:
"HSBC Bank Canada was established in Vancouver in 1981 and has grown to become
the 7th largest bank in the country. We are committed to providing excellent
customer service and to growing our business in British Columbia and across
Canada. After an extensive strategic review, we have decided to focus our
resources on expanding our core business operations, which are integrated and
national in nature. When we established Canadian Direct in 1996 as a stand-alone
regional business, we believed that consumers wanted to save money, they wanted
good service and they wanted a choice. We still believe that today. We would
like to thank the employees of Canadian Direct and we have no doubt that they
will be a key factor in the company's future development."

Brian Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Direct, said:
"Being acquired by Canadian Western Bank is a winning situation for all parties
involved. Employees are retained, customers continue to have a choice and
Canadian Direct will carry on business under our current model, which has been
key to our success. With its western Canadian footprint, commitment to customer
care, reputation in the financial marketplace and strong familiarity with the
regulatory environment of financial institutions, Canadian Western Bank is an
ideal acquirer of Canadian Direct."

Notes to editors:

1. Canadian Western Bank Group
Canadian Western Bank offers highly personalized service through its 27 branch
locations and is the largest Schedule I chartered bank headquartered in and
regionally focused on Western Canada. The Bank specializes in commercial loans,
energy loans, construction and real estate project financing, and industrial
equipment financing. Retail services include a competitive range of mortgages,
personal loans and deposit and investment products. Canadian Western Trust
provides trust services to independent financial advisors, corporations and
individuals. A varied range of products and services are offered, including
self-directed RRSPs and RRIFs, corporate and group trust services, and
commercial real estate financing. CWB Canadian Western Financial Ltd. offers a
wide variety of Canada's leading mutual funds. The common shares and the
convertible debentures of Canadian Western Bank are listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange under the respective trading symbols of "CWB" and "CWB.DB.A". For more
information see the Bank's website at www.cwbank.com.

2. HSBC Bank Canada
HSBC Bank Canada (HSB.PR.A - TSX), a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the
leading international bank in Canada with more than 160 offices across the
country. With over 9,500 offices in 79 countries and territories and assets of
US$983 billion at 30 June 2003, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest
banking and financial services organizations. For more information about HSBC
Bank Canada and its products and services, visit www.hsbc.ca.

3. Canadian Direct Insurance
Canadian Direct commenced operations in British Columbia in 1996, offering auto
insurance directly to customers through a customer focused, technologically
advanced call centre. Operations were soon expanded to include home insurance
and in 1999, a second call centre was opened in Alberta to serve that market.
Canadian Direct maintains a leading claims loss ratio and is very proud of its
excellent customer satisfaction rating. For more information about its
operations see Canadian Direct's website at www.canadiandirect.com.



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