Hang Seng Bank 1st Int Div

HSBC Holdings PLC
28 April 2008

The following is the text of an announcement made today by Hang Seng Bank, a
62.14 per cent owned subsidiary of the HSBC Group.

                              HANG SENG ANNOUNCES
                        FIRST INTERIM DIVIDEND FOR 2008
                                        
The Board of Directors of Hang Seng Bank today declared a first interim dividend
of HK$1.10 per share in respect of the year to 31 December 2008.

The first interim dividend will be payable on Thursday, 5 June 2008, to
shareholders on the Register of Shareholders at Tuesday, 20 May 2008.

The dividend as declared should not be taken as an indication of the level of
profit or dividend for the full year.

The Register of Shareholders of the Bank will be closed for one day on Tuesday,
20 May 2008, during which no transfer of shares can be registered. To qualify
for the first interim dividend for 2008, all transfers, accompanied by the
relevant share certificates, must be lodged for registration not later than 4:30
pm on Monday, 19 May 2008, with the Bank's Registrars, Computershare Hong Kong
Investor Services Limited, at Shops 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183
Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong.

The results for the first half of 2008 will be announced on Monday, 4 August
2008.

The proposed timetables for the second, third and fourth interim dividends in
respect of 2008 are:

Second Interim Dividend for 2008

Announcement date                                                4 August 2008
Book close and record date                                      20 August 2008
Payment date                                                  4 September 2008
                               
Third Interim Dividend for 2008

Announcement date                                              3 November 2008
Book close and record date                                    20 November 2008
Payment date                                                  10 December 2008
                                                                            
Fourth Interim Dividend for 2008

Announcement date                                                 2 March 2009
Book close and record date                                       18 March 2009
Payment date                                                     31 March 2009


Note to editors:

Hang Seng Bank

Founded in 1933, Hang Seng Bank operates around 150 branches and automated
banking centres and 13 Business Banking Centres in Hong Kong. The Bank also
maintains a branch in Shenzhen for foreign currency wholesale business, branches
in Macau and Singapore, and representative offices in Xiamen and Taipei.

Established on 28 May 2007, wholly owned subsidiary Hang Seng Bank (China)
Limited operates a mainland China network of 28 outlets in Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Ningbo.

With consolidated assets of HK$746 billion as at the end of 2007, Hang Seng Bank
reported a profit attributable to shareholders of HK$18.24 billion for the year
2007. Hang Seng Bank is a principal member of the HSBC Group, one of the world's
largest banking and financial services organisations. For further information on
Hang Seng Bank, please visit the bank's website at www.hangseng.com.








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