Hang Seng customers seek havens in uncertain times, says bank chief

Hang Seng Bank would continue to offer low-risk investment product services to meet customer demand, executive director Andrew Fung Hau-chung said.

In the current climate, investors preferred bonds or low-risk products over high-risk high-return products, said Fung, who is in charge of investment and treasury at Hang Seng.

He also oversees the bank's bullion, asset management and securities services subsidiary companies.

"Investors' risk appetite has changed since the global financial crisis in 2008," Fung said. "Before the crisis, investors were more aggressive and they liked to bet on short-term gains. Now they want more stable long-term investment products, which are simple and transparent."

Besides bond funds, exchange-traded funds had also become popular among investors, Fung said.

ETFs track their underlying indices, giving investors exposure to a basket of the constituent stocks in the index.