TOPIC

/ company

Bank of East Asia

(东亚银行)

Bank of East Asia

东亚银行

Founded in 1918, Bank of East Asia is the largest independent local bank and third largest bank in Hong Kong. It was co-founded in 1918 by Li Koon-chun, grandfather of David Li Kwok-po, who has been its chief executive since 1981.

Chairman / President

David LI Kwok-po

CEO / Managing Director

LI Man-kiu、LI Man-bun

CFO / Finance Director

LI Man-kiu、LI Man-bun

Industry

Finance

Website

hkbea.com

Headquarters address

Hong Kong

Stock Code

SEHK: 0023
OTC Pink: BKEAY

Year founded

1918

Analysts agree that lower US rates in 2026 would drive down Hibor – benefiting borrowers with Hibor-linked mortgages and corporate loans. Photo: Shutterstock

Interest rates

Hong Kong interbank rates forecast to drop on expected 2026 US monetary easing

Savings rates near zero prevent further prime rate reductions, though Hibor-linked loans will get cheaper, analysts say.

2 Jan 2026 - 7:00AM

Hong Kong stock market

Standard Chartered keeps overweight call on China stocks, flags recovery in 2026

18 Dec 2025 - 7:30AM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong moves from theory to practice with real-value tokenised money, asset deals

13 Nov 2025 - 6:00PM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong picks second batch of banks, tech firms to test AI in finance

Second phase of sandbox initiative will see 20 banks and 14 tech firms testing 27 use cases, with focus on responsible use of generative AI.

15 Oct 2025 - 10:01PM

The sandbox initiative started in December 2024 with 10 banks and four technology partners testing 15 use cases. Photo: Shutterstock

Banking & finance

Hong Kong banks battle for wealthy mainland clients during ‘golden week’ holiday

Hong Kong authorities estimate that as many as 1.54 million mainland visitors will cross the border during the eight-day holiday.

2 Oct 2025 - 11:55AM

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

Hong Kong’s eMPF could save US$6.5 billion for members in 10 years: regulator

Biggest MPF trustees – AIA, Sun Life, Manulife and HSBC – start move to the electronic platform from this week until the end of the year.

31 Aug 2025 - 1:12PM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong’s dollar-peg defence is bitter for borrowers as Hibor rises

Monetary authority’s successful defence of the US-dollar peg raises loan rates, putting pressure on borrowers and the property market.

26 Aug 2025 - 11:13AM

Hong Kong borrowing costs have increased after a decline in banking-sector liquidity. Photo: Getty Images

Banking & finance

Bank of East Asia profits rise on robust wealth-management business

First-half net profit jumps 14 per cent to HK$2.41 billion (US$308.6 million), beating analyst expectations.

21 Aug 2025 - 6:00PM

Banking & finance

China gives Hong Kong new yuan transfer cap as payment link starts

Starting from noon on Sunday, the 17 million registered users of Hong Kong’s FPS will be able to remit up to HK$10,000 per day to 298 million users on the mainland’s IBPS.

20 Jun 2025 - 8:32PM

IPO

CATL’s dilemma: top-of-the-range Hong Kong IPO price may cap first-day gains

EV battery maker’s 6.7 per cent discount to its Shenzhen-traded shares is much lower than the average 25 per cent discount for dual-listed Chinese firms.

16 May 2025 - 3:33PM

CATL is expected to raise HK$35.66 billion from the sale of 135.6 million shares at HK$263 apiece. Photo: Reuters

IPO

Stars align for mainland-listed firms’ Hong Kong share sales

30 A-share firms have applied to sell shares in Hong Kong this year, surpassing last year’s 16, according to exchange data.

8 May 2025 - 9:26AMvideocam

Shenzhen-listed CATL is gauging investor interest for its estimated US$5 billion share float after receiving approval from the Hong Kong stock exchange’s listing committee. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

Banks lure new wealthy clients with Liverpool, Jay Chou tickets in golden week push

Banks target growing pool of wealthy mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong during May 1-5 golden week holiday.

2 May 2025 - 7:10AMvideocam

Hong Kong property

China Vanke’s Hong Kong unit sees strong flat sales despite mortgage concerns

The embattled developer has sold 223 of the 228 flats on offer at its Le Mont residential project, according to agents.

15 Mar 2025 - 8:50PM

Banking & finance

Beijing allows Hong Kong banks to issue credit cards in China from March 1

The new rules will benefit lenders such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank, analysts say.

20 Feb 2025 - 11:21PM

Top Hong Kong banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered stand to gain from the opening up of China’s banking sector. Photo: Sam Tsang

Banking & finance

Hong Kong banks offer lai see, hampers, Asia Miles to returning workers

Companies have traditionally given staffers lai see packets on the first working day of the Lunar New Year.

30 Jan 2025 - 1:11PM

Lai see packets. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Banking & finance

From fireworks to cash, Hong Kong banks vie for mainland new year visitors

With 1.43 million mainlanders expected during the ‘golden week’, the city’s lenders prepare a slew of enticements.

3 Feb 2025 - 3:02PM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong digital banks consider branches after HKMA rule change

WeLab Bank, ZA Bank and Mox Bank believe face-to-face interactions would be a good addition, while Livi Bank does not see a need.

13 Jan 2025 - 7:30AM

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong banks cut lending rates, but HKMA warns of volatility ahead

The latest rate cuts by lenders such as HSBC and Bank of China will lighten the monthly burden on mortgage borrowers by about HK$351 to HK$22,452.

19 Dec 2024 - 4:50PM

The HKMA’s interest-rate cut has given Hong Kong business owners and mortgage holders a reprieve. Photo: Shutterstock

Banking & finance

Hong Kong’s base interest rate drops to 5% in second cut

Together with the half-percentage-point cut in September, Hong Kong’s key rate has now fallen back to February 2023’s level.

8 Nov 2024 - 11:06AM

Banking & finance

Hong Kong banks pledge to ease loans in HKMA’s plan to help SMEs

Hong Kong’s business owners are cash-starved, as interest rates hover at the highest level in almost two decades.

23 Aug 2024 - 6:46PM

Banking & finance

BEA unit to hold fintech day in October to promote innovation

The inaugural Beast event will be held during Fintech Week in late October, which will allow start-ups and bankers to exchange ideas to build a tech ecosystem in the city, according to a senior BEA executive.

18 Aug 2024 - 12:30PM

Stephen Leung, group chief information officer of Bank of East Asia, said the bank’s Beast platform will hold its inaugural fintech day in October. Photo: Enoch Yiu

Shenzhen

Hong Kong, Shenzhen begin cross-border credit checks in pilot trial

A new data-verification platform will test Beijing’s plan to keep watch on cross-border data flows without disrupting normal business operations.

6 May 2024 - 9:00PM

A view across the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border. Photo: SCMP/May Tse

Banking & finance

Major Hong Kong lenders leave interest rates unchanged

HSBC, Standard Chartered and BOCHK – the city’s three note-issuing banks – will keep their lending and deposit rates unchanged, meaning borrowers will have to keep waiting for interest relief.

21 Mar 2024 - 5:10PM

Hong Kong

Editorial | HSBC commitment to Asia welcome as it profits from region

With the Fed expected to start cutting rates before the end of the year, margins for lenders will narrow, potentially exposing threats in other areas. Hong Kong’s banks have made provisions and shored up balance sheets to ward off China property risk

24 Feb 2024 - 6:15AM

Banking & finance

BEA cut its exposure to China’s crisis-hit property sector last year

Hong Kong’s largest family-owned lender said its non-performing loans in mainland China dropped by 0.47 percentage points to 2.68 per cent at the end of 2023 compared with the first half, as its overall exposure to troubled Chinese property developers shrank.

21 Feb 2024 - 5:15PMvideocam

BEA’s net profit dropped 5.5 per cent to HK$4.12 billion for the whole of 2023, missing the HK$5.53 billion expected by analysts. Photo: Bloomberg

Greater Bay Area

GBA at 5: HSBC, BEA among Hong Kong lenders eyeing Qianhai opportunities

Qianhai’s tax incentives are among measures that have attracted major Hong Kong banks to invest in grade-A office buildings, and to develop a wide range of banking, securities and insurance businesses in the area.

19 Feb 2024 - 9:18AM

Qianhai is already home to about 10,000 Hong Kong companies, and more than 75,000 Hong Kong residents live and work there. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Banking & finance

Hong Kong banks line up fireworks dinners, lucky draws to entice new clients

Hong Kong banks have launched marketing campaigns to kick off the Year of the Dragon. The giveaways include fireworks dinners, lucky draws and air tickets to lock in new clients and entertain wealthy customers.

4 Feb 2024 - 3:59PMvideocam

Banking & finance

BEA targets wealth management, fintech in bay area from new Qianhai office

The 18-storey BEA Tower, built at a cost of US$196 million, houses the bank’s Qianhai branch, innovation centre and data lab. The 105-year-old lender is targeting wealth management and fintech in the bay area.

12 Jan 2024 - 8:00PM

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Bank of East Asia

(东亚银行)

Hong Kong interbank rates forecast to drop on expected 2026 US monetary easing

Savings rates near zero prevent further prime rate reductions, though Hibor-linked loans will get cheaper, analysts say.

Standard Chartered keeps overweight call on China stocks, flags recovery in 2026

Hong Kong moves from theory to practice with real-value tokenised money, asset deals

Hong Kong picks second batch of banks, tech firms to test AI in finance

Second phase of sandbox initiative will see 20 banks and 14 tech firms testing 27 use cases, with focus on responsible use of generative AI.

Hong Kong banks battle for wealthy mainland clients during ‘golden week’ holiday

Hong Kong authorities estimate that as many as 1.54 million mainland visitors will cross the border during the eight-day holiday.

Hong Kong’s eMPF could save US$6.5 billion for members in 10 years: regulator

Biggest MPF trustees – AIA, Sun Life, Manulife and HSBC – start move to the electronic platform from this week until the end of the year.

Hong Kong’s dollar-peg defence is bitter for borrowers as Hibor rises

Monetary authority’s successful defence of the US-dollar peg raises loan rates, putting pressure on borrowers and the property market.

Bank of East Asia profits rise on robust wealth-management business

First-half net profit jumps 14 per cent to HK$2.41 billion (US$308.6 million), beating analyst expectations.

China gives Hong Kong new yuan transfer cap as payment link starts

Starting from noon on Sunday, the 17 million registered users of Hong Kong’s FPS will be able to remit up to HK$10,000 per day to 298 million users on the mainland’s IBPS.

CATL’s dilemma: top-of-the-range Hong Kong IPO price may cap first-day gains

EV battery maker’s 6.7 per cent discount to its Shenzhen-traded shares is much lower than the average 25 per cent discount for dual-listed Chinese firms.

Stars align for mainland-listed firms’ Hong Kong share sales

30 A-share firms have applied to sell shares in Hong Kong this year, surpassing last year’s 16, according to exchange data.

Banks lure new wealthy clients with Liverpool, Jay Chou tickets in golden week push

Banks target growing pool of wealthy mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong during May 1-5 golden week holiday.

China Vanke’s Hong Kong unit sees strong flat sales despite mortgage concerns

The embattled developer has sold 223 of the 228 flats on offer at its Le Mont residential project, according to agents.

Beijing allows Hong Kong banks to issue credit cards in China from March 1

The new rules will benefit lenders such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank, analysts say.

Hong Kong banks offer lai see, hampers, Asia Miles to returning workers

Companies have traditionally given staffers lai see packets on the first working day of the Lunar New Year.

From fireworks to cash, Hong Kong banks vie for mainland new year visitors

With 1.43 million mainlanders expected during the ‘golden week’, the city’s lenders prepare a slew of enticements.

Hong Kong digital banks consider branches after HKMA rule change

WeLab Bank, ZA Bank and Mox Bank believe face-to-face interactions would be a good addition, while Livi Bank does not see a need.

Hong Kong banks cut lending rates, but HKMA warns of volatility ahead

The latest rate cuts by lenders such as HSBC and Bank of China will lighten the monthly burden on mortgage borrowers by about HK$351 to HK$22,452.

Hong Kong’s base interest rate drops to 5% in second cut

Together with the half-percentage-point cut in September, Hong Kong’s key rate has now fallen back to February 2023’s level.

Hong Kong banks pledge to ease loans in HKMA’s plan to help SMEs

Hong Kong’s business owners are cash-starved, as interest rates hover at the highest level in almost two decades.

BEA unit to hold fintech day in October to promote innovation

The inaugural Beast event will be held during Fintech Week in late October, which will allow start-ups and bankers to exchange ideas to build a tech ecosystem in the city, according to a senior BEA executive.

Hong Kong, Shenzhen begin cross-border credit checks in pilot trial

A new data-verification platform will test Beijing’s plan to keep watch on cross-border data flows without disrupting normal business operations.

Major Hong Kong lenders leave interest rates unchanged

HSBC, Standard Chartered and BOCHK – the city’s three note-issuing banks – will keep their lending and deposit rates unchanged, meaning borrowers will have to keep waiting for interest relief.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | HSBC commitment to Asia welcome as it profits from region

With the Fed expected to start cutting rates before the end of the year, margins for lenders will narrow, potentially exposing threats in other areas. Hong Kong’s banks have made provisions and shored up balance sheets to ward off China property risk

BEA cut its exposure to China’s crisis-hit property sector last year

Hong Kong’s largest family-owned lender said its non-performing loans in mainland China dropped by 0.47 percentage points to 2.68 per cent at the end of 2023 compared with the first half, as its overall exposure to troubled Chinese property developers shrank.

GBA at 5: HSBC, BEA among Hong Kong lenders eyeing Qianhai opportunities

Qianhai’s tax incentives are among measures that have attracted major Hong Kong banks to invest in grade-A office buildings, and to develop a wide range of banking, securities and insurance businesses in the area.

Hong Kong banks line up fireworks dinners, lucky draws to entice new clients

Hong Kong banks have launched marketing campaigns to kick off the Year of the Dragon. The giveaways include fireworks dinners, lucky draws and air tickets to lock in new clients and entertain wealthy customers.

BEA targets wealth management, fintech in bay area from new Qianhai office

The 18-storey BEA Tower, built at a cost of US$196 million, houses the bank’s Qianhai branch, innovation centre and data lab. The 105-year-old lender is targeting wealth management and fintech in the bay area.

Editorial | HSBC commitment to Asia welcome as it profits from region