Accounting term |
US equivalent or brief description |
Accounts |
Financial Statements |
Articles of Association |
Bylaws |
Associates |
Long-term equity investments accounted for using the equity method |
Attributable profit |
Net income |
Balance sheet |
Statement of financial position |
Bills |
Notes |
Called up share capital |
Ordinary shares, issued and fully paid |
Capital allowances |
Tax depreciation allowances |
Creditors |
Payables |
Debtors |
Receivables |
Deferred tax |
Deferred income tax |
Depreciation |
Amortisation |
Finance lease |
Capital lease |
Freehold |
Ownership with absolute rights in perpetuity |
Interests in associates and |
Long-term equity investments accounted for using the equity method |
Loans and advances |
Lendings |
Loan capital |
Long-term debt |
Nominal value |
Par value |
One-off |
Non-recurring |
Ordinary shares |
Common stock |
Overdraft |
A line of credit, contractually repayable on demand unless a fixed-term has been agreed, established through a customer's current account |
Preference shares |
Preferred stock |
Premises |
Real estate |
Provisions |
Liabilities |
Share capital |
Ordinary shares or common stock issued and fully paid |
Shareholders' equity |
Stockholders' equity |
Share premium account |
Additional paid-in capital |
Shares in issue |
Shares outstanding |
Write-offs |
Charge-offs |
Abbreviation |
Brief description |
ABS1 |
Asset-backed security |
ADR |
American Depositary Receipt |
ADS |
American Depositary Share |
AIEA |
Average interest-earning assets |
ALCO |
Asset and Liability Management Committee |
ARM |
Adjustable-rate mortgage |
ASEAN |
Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
ASF |
Asset and Structured Finance |
Asscher |
Asscher Finance Ltd, a structured investment vehicle managed by HSBC |
ATM |
Automated teller machine |
Bank of Bermuda |
The Bank of Bermuda Limited |
Bank of Communications |
Bank of Communications Co., Limited, mainland China's fourth largest bank by market capitalisation, in which HSBC currently has 19.01 per cent interest |
Bao Viet |
BaoViet Holdings |
Barion |
Barion Funding Limited, a term funding vehicle |
Basel Committee |
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision |
Basel I |
1988 Basel Capital Accord |
Basel II1 |
2006 Basel Capital Accord |
BBA |
British Bankers' Association |
Bps |
Basis points. One basis point is equal to one hundredth of a percentage point |
Brazilian operations |
HSBC Bank Brasil S.A.-Banco Múltiplo and subsidiaries, plus HSBC Serviços e Participações Limitada |
CD |
Certificate of deposit |
CDS1 |
Credit default swap |
CDO1 |
Collateralised debt obligation |
CGU |
Cash-generating unit |
CNAV1 |
Constant Net Asset Value |
Combined Code |
Combined Code on Corporate Governance issued by the Financial Reporting Council |
CP1 |
Commercial paper |
CPI |
Consumer price index |
CRR1 |
Customer risk rating |
Cullinan |
Cullinan Finance Ltd, a structured investment vehicle managed by HSBC |
Decision One |
Decision One Mortgage Company, HSBC Finance's subsidiary which originates loans referred by mortgage brokers |
DPF |
Discretionary participation feature of insurance and investment contracts |
Enhanced VNAV1 |
Enhanced Variable Net Asset Value |
EPS |
Earnings per share |
EU |
European Union |
Fannie Mae |
Federal National Mortgage Association, US |
FDIC |
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (US) |
Financiera Independencia |
Financiera Independencia S.A.B. de C.V. |
Freddie Mac |
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, US |
FSA |
Financial Services Authority (UK) |
FTSE |
Financial Times - Stock Exchange index |
GAAP |
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
GCRO |
Group Chief Risk Officer |
GDP |
Gross domestic product |
Ginnie Mae |
Government National Mortgage Association, US |
Global Markets |
HSBC's treasury and capital markets services in Global Banking and Markets |
GMB |
Group Management Board |
GMO |
Group Management Office |
Group |
HSBC Holdings together with its subsidiary undertakings |
H1N1 |
Influenza 'A' (H1N1) virus, commonly referred to as swine flu |
Hang Seng Bank |
Hang Seng Bank Limited, the third largest bank listed in Hong Kong by market capitalisation |
Abbreviation |
Brief description |
HELoC |
Home equity lines of credit |
HFC |
HFC Bank Limited, the UK-based consumer finance business acquired through the acquisition by HSBC of HSBC Finance |
HIBOR |
Hong Kong Interbank Offer Rate |
HKMA |
Hong Kong Monetary Authority |
HKSE |
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited |
Hong Kong |
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China |
HSBC |
HSBC Holdings together with its subsidiary undertakings |
HSBC Assurances |
HSBC Assurances, comprising Erisa S.A., the French life insurer, and Erisa I.A.R.D., the property and casualty insurer (together, formerly Erisa) |
HSBC Bank |
HSBC Bank plc, formerly Midland Bank plc |
HSBC Bank Argentina |
HSBC Bank Argentina S.A. |
HSBC Bank Brazil |
HSBC Bank Brasil S.A.-Banco Múltiplo |
HSBC Bank China |
HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited, HSBC's banking subsidiary in mainland China which was incorporated in March 2007 |
HSBC Bank Malaysia |
HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad |
HSBC Bank Middle East |
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, formerly The British Bank of the Middle East |
HSBC Bank Panama |
HSBC Bank (Panama) S.A., formerly Grupo Banistmo S.A. |
HSBC Bank USA |
HSBC's retail bank in the US. From 1 July 2004, HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (formerly HSBC Bank USA, Inc.) |
HSBC Direct |
HSBC's online banking and savings proposition |
HSBC Finance |
HSBC Finance Corporation, the US consumer finance company (formerly Household International, Inc.) |
HSBC France |
HSBC's French banking subsidiary, formerly CCF S.A. |
HSBC Holdings |
HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC |
HSBC Mexico |
HSBC México S.A., the commercial banking subsidiary of Grupo Financiero HSBC, S.A. de C.V. |
HSBC Premier |
HSBC's premium global banking service |
HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) |
HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) S.A., HSBC's private bank in Switzerland (merged with HSBC Guyerzeller Bank in 2009) |
IAS |
International Accounting Standard |
IASB |
International Accounting Standards Board |
IFRSs |
International Financial Reporting Standards |
IFRIC |
International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee |
Industrial Bank |
Industrial Bank Co. Limited, a national joint-stock bank in mainland China in which Hang Seng Bank currently has a 12.78 per cent interest |
IPO |
Initial public offering |
IRB1 |
Internal ratings-based |
KPI |
Key performance indicator |
KPMG |
KPMG Audit Plc and its affiliates |
LIBOR |
London Interbank Offer Rate |
Madoff Securities |
Bernard L Madoff Investment Securities LLC |
Mainland China |
People's Republic of China excluding Hong Kong |
Malachite |
Malachite Funding Limited, a term funding vehicle |
MasterCard |
MasterCard Inc. |
Mazarin |
Mazarin Funding Limited, an asset-backed CP conduit |
MBS1 |
US mortgage-backed security |
Metrovacesa |
Metrovacesa, S.A. |
Monoline1 |
Monoline insurance company |
M&S Money |
Marks and Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings Limited |
MSCI |
Morgan Stanley Capital International index |
MTN1 |
Medium-term note |
NA |
Nationally Chartered, a designation for certain categories of banks in the US |
NYSE |
New York Stock Exchange |
Abbreviation |
Brief description |
OFT |
Office of Fair Trading (UK) |
OTC1 |
Over-the-counter |
Performance Shares |
Awards of HSBC Holdings ordinary shares under employee share plans that are subject to corporate performance conditions |
Ping An Insurance |
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Limited, the second-largest life insurer in the PRC, in which HSBC currently has 16.78 per cent interest |
PPI |
Payment protection insurance product |
Premier |
See HSBC Premier |
PVIF |
Present value of in-force long-term insurance business |
Repo |
Sale and repurchase transaction |
Restricted Shares |
Awards of Restricted Shares define the number of HSBC Holdings ordinary shares to which the employee will become entitled, generally between one and three years from the date of the award, and normally subject to the individual remaining in employment |
Reverse repo |
Security purchased under commitments to sell |
RMM |
Risk Management Meeting of the Group Management Board |
RPI |
Retail price index (UK) |
RWA1 |
Risk weighted asset |
S&P |
Standard and Poor's rating agency |
SEC |
Securities and Exchange Commission (US) |
SIC |
Securities investment conduit |
SIP |
Statement of investment principles produced by trustees of defined pension plans |
SIV1 |
Structured investment vehicle |
SME |
Small and medium-sized enterprise |
Solitaire |
Solitaire Funding Limited, a special purpose entity managed by HSBC |
SPE1 |
Special purpose entity |
STIP |
Short-term income protection insurance product |
Techcombank |
Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank |
The Chinese Bank |
The Chinese Bank Co., Ltd., the business in Taiwan |
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation |
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, the founding member of the HSBC Group |
TSR |
Total shareholder return |
UAE |
United Arab Emirates |
UK |
United Kingdom |
US |
United States |
VAR1 |
Value at risk |
Visa |
Visa Inc. |
VNAV |
Variable Net Asset Value |
WWF |
World Wide Fund for Nature |
1 For full definitions see pages 489 to 494.
Term |
Definition |
Alt-A |
A US description for loans regarded as lower risk than sub-prime, but with higher risk characteristics than lending under normal criteria. |
Arrears |
Customers are said to be in arrears (or in a state of delinquency) when they are behind in fulfilling their obligations, with the result that an outstanding loan is unpaid or overdue. When a customer is in arrears, the total outstanding loans on which payments are overdue are described as delinquent. |
Asset-backed securities |
Securities that represent an interest in an underlying pool of referenced assets. The referenced pool can comprise any assets which attract a set of associated cash flows but are commonly pools of residential or commercial mortgages. |
Back-testing |
A statistical technique used to monitor and assess the accuracy of a model, and how that model would have performed had it been applied in the past. |
Basel II |
The capital adequacy framework issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in June 2006 in the form of the 'International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards'. |
Collectively assessed |
Impairment assessment on a collective basis for homogeneous groups of loans that are not considered individually significant. |
Collateralised debt obligation ('CDO') |
A security issued by a third party which references ABSs and/or certain other related assets purchased by the issuer. CDOs may feature exposure to sub-prime mortgage assets through the underlying assets. |
Commercial paper ('CP') |
An unsecured, short-term debt instrument issued by a corporation, typically for the financing of accounts receivable, inventories and meeting short-term liabilities. The debt is usually issued at a discount, reflecting prevailing market interest rates. |
Commercial real estate |
Any real estate investment, comprising buildings or land, intended to generate a profit, either from capital gain or rental income. |
Conduits |
A vehicle that holds asset-backed securities such as mortgages, vehicle finance loans and credit card loans which is financed by short-term debt normally issued in the form of commercial paper which is collateralised by the asset-backed debt. |
Constant net asset value fund ('CNAV') |
A fund that prices its assets on an amortised cost basis, subject to the amortised book value of the portfolio remaining within 50 basis points of its market value. |
Contractual maturities |
The date on which the final payment (principal or interest) of any financial instrument is due to be paid, at which point all the remaining outstanding principal and interest have been repaid. |
Core tier 1 capital |
The highest quality form of regulatory capital that comprises total shareholders' equity and related minority interests, less goodwill and intangible assets and certain other regulatory adjustments. |
Credit default swap |
A derivative contract whereby a buyer pays a fee to a seller in return for receiving a payment in the event of a defined credit event (e.g. bankruptcy, payment default on a reference asset or assets, or downgrades by a rating agency) on an underlying obligation (which may or may not be held by the buyer). |
Credit derivative product companies ('CDPC's) |
Independent companies that specialise in selling credit default protection on corporate exposures in the form of credit derivatives. |
Credit enhancements |
Facilities used to enhance the creditworthiness of financial obligations and cover losses due to asset default. |
Credit risk |
Risk of financial loss if a customer or counterparty fails to meet an obligation under a contract. It arises mainly from direct lending, trade finance and leasing business, but also from products such as guarantees, derivatives and debt securities. |
Credit risk adjustment |
An adjustment to the valuation of OTC derivative contracts to reflect the creditworthiness of OTC derivative counterparties. |
Term |
Definition |
|
Credit risk mitigation |
A technique to reduce the credit risk associated with an exposure by application of credit risk mitigants such as collateral, guarantee and credit protection. |
|
Credit risk spread |
The premium over the benchmark or risk-free rate required by the market to accept a lower credit quality. The yield spread between securities with the same coupon rate and maturity structure but with different associated credit risks. The yield spread rises as the credit rating worsens. |
|
Customer deposits |
Money deposited by account holders. Such funds are recorded as liabilities. |
|
Customer risk rating ('CRR') |
A scale of 22 grades measuring internal obligor probability of default. |
|
Debt restructuring |
A restructuring by which the terms and provisions of outstanding debt agreements are changed. This is often done in order to improve cash flow and the ability of the borrower to repay the debt. It can involve altering the repayment schedule as well as debt or interest charge reduction. |
|
Debt securities |
Assets on the Group's balance sheet representing certificates of indebtedness of credit institutions, public bodies or other undertakings, excluding those issued by Central Banks. |
|
Debt securities in issue |
Transferable certificates of indebtedness of the Group to the bearer of the certificates. These are liabilities of the Group and include certificates of deposits. |
|
Delinquency |
See 'Arrears'. |
|
Economic capital |
The internally calculated capital requirement which is deemed necessary by HSBC to support the risks to which it is exposed at a confidence level consistent with a target credit rating of AA. |
|
Economic profit |
The difference between the return on financial capital invested by shareholders ('return on invested capital') and the cost of that capital. Economic profit may be expressed as a whole number or as a percentage. |
|
Enhanced variable net asset |
Funds that price their assets on a fair value basis. Consequently, prices may change from one day to the next. |
|
Equity risk |
The risk arising from positions, either long or short, in equities or equity-based instruments, which create exposure to a change in the market price of the equities or equity instruments. |
|
Expected loss ('EL') |
A regulatory calculation of the amount expected to be lost on an exposure using a 12 month time horizon and downturn loss estimates. EL is calculated by multiplying the Probability of Default (a percentage) by the Exposure at Default (an amount) and Loss Given Default (a percentage). |
|
Exposure |
A claim, contingent claim or position which carries a risk of financial loss. |
|
Exposure at default ('EAD') |
The amount expected to be outstanding after any credit risk mitigation, if and when the counterparty defaults. EAD reflects drawn balances as well as allowance for undrawn amounts of commitments and contingent exposures. |
|
Fair value adjustment |
An adjustment to the fair value of a financial instrument which is determined using a valuation technique (level 2 and level 3) to include additional factors that would be considered by a market participant that are not incorporated within the valuation model. |
|
First lien |
A security interest granted over an item of property to secure the repayment of a debt that places its holder first in line to collect repayment from the sale of the underlying collateral in the event of a default on the debt. |
|
Funded exposures |
A funded exposure is one where the notional amount of a contract is or has been exchanged. |
|
Funding risk |
A form of liquidity risk arising when the liquidity needed to fund illiquid asset positions cannot be obtained at the expected terms and when required. |
|
Term |
Definition |
Historic rating transition |
HRTMs show the probability of a counterparty with a particular rating moving to a different rating over a defined time horizon. |
Impaired loans |
Loans where the Group does not expect to collect all the contractual cash flows or expects to collect them later than they are contractually due. |
Impairment allowances |
Management's best estimate of losses incurred in the loan portfolios at the balance sheet date. |
Individually assessed impairment |
Exposure to loss is assessed on all individually significant accounts and all other accounts that do not qualify for collective assessment. |
Insurance risk |
A risk, other than a financial risk, transferred from the holder of a contract to the insurance provider. The principal insurance risk is that, over time, the combined cost of claims, administration and acquisition of the contract may exceed the aggregate amount of premiums received and investment income. |
Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process ('ICAAP') |
The Group's own assessment of the levels of capital that it needs to hold through an examination of its risk profile from regulatory and economic capital viewpoints. |
Internal Model Method ('IMM') |
One of three approaches defined by Basel II to determine exposure values for counterparty credit risk. |
Internal ratings-based approach ('IRB') |
A method of calculating credit risk capital requirements using internal, rather than supervisory, estimates of risk parameters. |
Invested capital |
Equity capital invested in HSBC by its shareholders. |
IRB advanced approach |
A method of calculating credit risk capital requirements using internal PD, LGD and EAD models. |
IRB foundation approach |
A method of calculating credit risk capital requirements using internal PD models but with supervisory estimates of LGD and conversion factors for the calculation of EAD. |
ISDA |
International Swaps and Derivatives Association. |
ISDA Master agreement |
Standardised contract developed by ISDA used as an umbrella under which bilateral derivatives contracts are entered into. |
Key management personnel |
Directors and Group Managing Directors of HSBC Holdings. |
Level 1 - quoted market price |
Financial instruments with quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. |
Level 2 - valuation technique using observable inputs |
Financial instruments with quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in inactive markets and financial instruments valued using models where all significant inputs are observable. |
Level 3 - valuation technique |
Financial instruments valued using valuation techniques where one or more significant inputs are unobservable. |
Leveraged finance |
Funding provided for entities with higher than average indebtedness, which typically arises from sub-investment grade acquisitions or event-driven financing. |
Liquidity enhancement |
Liquidity enhancement makes funds available if required, for reasons other than asset default, e.g. to ensure timely repayment of maturing commercial paper. |
Liquidity risk |
The risk that HSBC does not have sufficient financial resources to meet its obligations as they fall due, or will have to do so at an excessive cost. This risk arises from mismatches in the timing of cash flows. |
Loan modification |
A process by which the terms of a loan are modified either temporarily or permanently, including changes to the rate and/or the payment. Modification may also lead to a re-ageing of the account. |
Term |
Definition |
|
Loan-to-value ratio ('LTV') |
A mathematical calculation that expresses the amount of the loan as a percentage of the value of security. A high LTV indicates that there is less cushion to protect the lender against house price falls or increases in the loan if repayments are not made and interest is added to the outstanding loan balance. |
|
Loans past due |
Loans on which repayments are overdue. |
|
Loss given default ('LGD') |
The estimated ratio (percentage) of the loss on an exposure to the amount outstanding at default (EAD) upon default of a counterparty. |
|
Market risk |
The risk that movements in market risk factors, including foreign exchange rates and commodity prices, interest rates, credit spreads and equity prices will reduce income or portfolio values. |
|
Monoline insurers |
Entities which specialise in providing credit protection to the holders of debt instruments in the event of default by the debt security counterparty. This protection is typically held in the form of derivatives such as CDSs referencing the underlying exposures held. |
|
Mortgage-backed securities ('MBS's) |
Securities that represent interests in groups of mortgages, which may be on residential or commercial properties. Investors in these securities have the right to cash received from future mortgage payments (interest and/or principal). When the MBS references mortgages with different risk profiles, the MBS is classified according to the highest risk class. |
|
Mortgage-related assets |
Assets which are referenced to underlying mortgages. |
|
Mortgage vintage |
The year a mortgage was originated. |
|
Medium term notes |
Notes issued by corporates across a range of maturities. MTNs are frequently issued by corporates under MTN Programmes whereby notes are offered on a regular and continuous basis to investors. |
|
Net asset value per share |
Total shareholders' equity, less non-cumulative preference shares and capital securities, divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue. |
|
Negative equity mortgages |
Negative equity is the value of the asset less the outstanding balance on the loan. It arises when the value of the property purchased is below the balance outstanding on the loan. |
|
Net interest income |
The amount of interest received or receivable on assets net of interest paid or payable on liabilities. |
|
Net principal exposure |
The gross principal amount of assets that are not protected by CDSs. It includes assets that benefit from monoline protection, except where this protection is purchased with a CDS. |
|
Non-conforming mortgages |
Mortgages that do not meet normal lending criteria, e.g. where the normal level of documentation has not been provided or where increased risk factors are present, such as poor credit history, result in lending at a rate that is higher than the normal lending rate. |
|
Operational risk |
The risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems, or from external events, including legal risk. |
|
Over-the-counter |
A bilateral transaction (e.g. derivatives) that is not exchange traded and valued using valuation models. |
|
Performance Shares |
Awards of HSBC Holdings ordinary shares under employee share plans that are subject to the achievement of corporate performance conditions. |
|
Prime |
A US description for mortgages granted to the most creditworthy category of borrowers. |
|
Private equity investments |
Equity securities in operating companies not quoted on a public exchange, often involving the investment of capital in private companies or the acquisition of a public company that results in the delisting of public equity. |
|
Term |
Definition |
Probability of default ('PD') |
The probability that an obligor will default within a one-year time horizon. |
Regulatory capital |
The capital which HSBC holds, determined in accordance with rules established by the FSA for the consolidated Group and by local regulators for individual Group companies. |
Renegotiated loans |
Loans whose terms have been renegotiated and are treated as up to date loans for measurement purposes once the minimum number of payments required under the new arrangements have been received. |
Restricted Shares |
Awards of HSBC Holdings ordinary shares to which employees will normally become entitled, generally between one and three years, subject to remaining an employee. |
Retail loans |
Money loaned to individuals rather than institutions. This includes both secured and unsecured loans such as mortgages and credit card balances. |
Return on equity |
Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by average invested capital. |
Risk appetite |
An assessment of the types and quantum of risks to which HSBC wishes to be exposed. |
Risk-weighted assets |
Calculated by assigning a degree of risk expressed as a percentage (risk weight) to an exposure in accordance with the applicable Standardised or IRB approach rules. |
Seasoning |
The emergence of credit loss patterns in portfolios over time. |
Second lien |
A security interest granted over an item of property to secure the repayment of a debt that is issued against the same collateral as a first lien but that is subordinate to it. In the case of default, repayment for this debt will only be received after the first lien has been repaid. |
Securitisation |
A transaction or scheme whereby the credit risk associated with an exposure, or pool of exposures, is tranched and where payments to investors in the transaction or scheme are dependent upon the performance of the exposure or pool of exposures. A traditional securitisation involves the transfer of the exposures being securitised to an SPE which issues securities. In a synthetic securitisation, the tranching is achieved by the use of credit derivatives and the exposures are not removed from the balance sheet of the originator. |
Single-issuer liquidity facility |
A liquidity or stand-by line provided to a corporate customer which is different from a similar line provided to a conduit funding vehicle. |
Structured Investment Vehicles ('SIV's)
|
Special purpose entities which invest in diversified portfolios of interest-earning assets, generally funded through issues of commercial paper, medium-term notes and other senior debt to take advantage of the spread differentials between the assets in the SIV and the funding cost. |
Special purpose entities |
A corporation, trust or other non-bank entity, established for a narrowly defined purpose, including for carrying on securitisation activities. The structure of the entity and activities are intended to isolate the obligations of the SPE from those of the originator and the holders of the beneficial interests in the securitisation. |
Standardised approach |
In relation to credit risk, a method for calculating credit risk capital requirements using External Credit Assessment Institutions ('ECAI') ratings and supervisory risk weights. In relation to operational risk, a method of calculating the operational capital requirement by the application of a supervisory defined percentage charge to the gross income of eight specified business lines. |
Structured finance / notes |
An instrument whose return is linked to the level of a specified index or the level of a specified asset. The return on a structured note can be linked to equities, interest rates, foreign exchange, commodities or credit. Structured notes may or may not offer full or partial capital protection in the event of a decline in the underlying index or asset. |
Term |
Definition |
Student loan related assets |
Securities with collateral relating to student loans. |
Subordinated liabilities |
Liabilities which rank after the claims of other creditors of the issuer in the event of insolvency or liquidation. |
Sub-prime |
A US description for customers with high credit risk, for example those who have limited credit histories, modest incomes, high debt-to-income ratios, high loan-to-value ratios (for real estate secured products) or have experienced credit problems caused by occasional delinquencies, prior charge-offs, bankruptcy or other credit-related problems. |
Tier 1 capital |
A component of regulatory capital, comprising core tier 1 and other tier 1 capital. Other tier 1 capital includes qualifying hybrid capital instruments such as non-cumulative perpetual preference shares and innovative tier 1 securities. |
Tier 2 capital |
A component of regulatory capital, comprising qualifying subordinated loan capital, related minority interests, allowable collective impairment allowances and unrealised gains arising on the fair valuation of equity instruments held as available-for-sale. Tier 2 capital also includes reserves arising from the revaluation of properties. |
Troubled debt restructuring |
A US description for restructuring a debt whereby the creditor for economic or legal reasons related to a debtor's financial difficulties grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider. |
Unfunded exposures |
An exposure where the notional amount of a contract has not been exchanged. |
Value-at-risk |
A technique that measures the loss that could occur on risk positions as a result of adverse movements in market risk factors (e.g. rates, prices, volatilities) over a specified time horizon and to a given level of confidence. |
Wholesale loans |
Money loaned to sovereign borrowers, banks, non-bank financial institutions and corporate entities. |
Write-down |
Reduction in the carrying value of an asset due to impairment or fair value movements. |
Wrong-way risk |
An adverse correlation between the counterparty's probability of default and the mark-to-market value of the underlying transaction. |