HSBC Canada Offering- Preferred & Trust Securities

HSBC Hldgs PLC
30 May 2000


  HSBC BANK CANADA OFFERING OF PREFERRED SHARES AND OFFERING OF
                     ASSET TRUST SECURITIES


HSBC Bank Canada has filed a preliminary prospectus in all
provinces and territories of Canada for the bank's offering of
C$100 million of Non-Cumulative Class 1 Preferred Shares, Series
A (the 'Preferred Shares Series A'). The Preferred Shares Series
A will qualify as Tier 1 Capital of the bank for regulatory
purposes. The issuance of the Preferred Shares Series A will be
co-led by HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc. and Scotia Capital Inc.

HSBC Bank Canada has established HSBC Canada Asset Trust which
has also filed a preliminary prospectus in all provinces and
territories of Canada for the offering of C$200 million of HSBC
Canada Asset Trust Securities - Series 2010 (the 'HSBC HaTS'),
each of which represent an undivided beneficial ownership
interest in the assets held by the trust from time to time. The
HSBC HaTS will qualify as Innovative Tier 1 Capital of the bank.
The issuance of the HSBC HaTS will be co-led by HSBC Securities
(Canada) Inc. and TD Securities Inc.

The Preferred Shares Series A have been provisionally rated Pfd-
2(high)n by Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited and P-2(Low) by
Canadian Bond Rating Service Inc. The HSBC HaTS have been
provisionally rated 'A(low)'yn by Dominion Bond Rating Service
Limited and P-2(Low) by Canadian Bond Rating Service Inc.

HSBC Bank Canada, an indirectly-held, wholly-owned subsidiary of
HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 140 offices. With over 5,000
offices in 80 countries and territories and assets of US$569
billion at 31 December 1999, the HSBC Group is one of the world's
largest banking and financial services organisations.