Hang Seng Interim Dividend

HSBC Holdings PLC
08 November 2004


                              HANG SENG ANNOUNCES
                        THIRD INTERIM DIVIDEND FOR 2004


The Board of Directors of Hang Seng Bank today declared a third interim dividend
of HK$1.10 per share in respect of the year ending 31 December 2004.

The third interim dividend will be payable on Wednesday, 5 January 2005 to
shareholders on the Register of Shareholders as at Friday, 17 December 2004.

The results for the year to 31 December 2004 will be announced on Monday, 28
February 2005. It is intended that any fourth interim dividend for 2004 that is
announced on that date would be payable on Thursday, 24 March 2005 to
shareholders on the Register on Wednesday, 16 March 2005.

The Register of Shareholders of the Bank will be closed for one day on Friday,
17 December 2004, during which no transfer of shares can be registered. To
qualify for the third interim dividend for 2004, all transfers, accompanied by
the relevant share certificates, must be lodged for registration not later than
4:00 pm on Thursday, 16 December 2004, 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.


Notes to editors:
1. Hang Seng Bank
Founded in 1933, Hang Seng Bank is a principal member of the HSBC Group and the
second largest listed bank in Hong Kong in terms of market capitalisation. It
operates 160 branches and automated banking centres in Hong Kong; a branch in
Macau; and a network of five branches (in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Fuzhou
and Nanjing), two sub-branches (in Shanghai) and two representative offices (in
Beijing and Xiamen) in mainland China. The Bank also has a representative office
in Taipei.

With consolidated assets of HK$503.9 billion as at 30 June 2004, the Bank
reported a profit attributable to shareholders of HK$6.24 billion for the first
six months of 2004, and HK$9.54 billion in 2003. For further information on Hang
Seng, please visit the Bank's website at www.hangseng.com.

2. The HSBC Group
HSBC Holdings plc is headquartered in the UK. The HSBC Group serves over 110
million customers worldwide from approximately 10,000 offices in 76 countries
and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle
East and Africa. With assets of US$1,154 billion at 30 June 2004, HSBC is one of
the world's largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is
marketed worldwide as 'the world's local bank'.



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