Go to main content
 
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
***************************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (October 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$3,902.5 billion as at September 30, 2017, HK$9.9 billion lower than that at the end of August 2017. Foreign currency assets increased by HK$8.5 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$18.4 billion.
      
     The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness and the purchase of foreign currencies with Hong Kong dollars, which were partly offset by mark-to-market losses on foreign currency portfolios and a decrease in unsettled purchases of securities. The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to sale of Hong Kong dollars for foreign currencies and withdrawals of placements by Fiscal Reserves.
      
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of September 2017 was HK$1,680.8 billion, increased by HK$14.3 billion, or 0.9%, from the end of August 2017. The rise was mainly due to the increase in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
      
     The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$10.9 billion, or 0.6%, to HK$1,814.5 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness, which was partly offset by revaluation losses. The backing ratio decreased from 108.22% at the end of August 2017 to 107.95% at the end of September 2017.

*****************************************************************

     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of October 2017, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 
October 9
(Issued)
SDDS International Reserves
(Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)
 
October 13
 (Issued)
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank
 (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund)
 
October 31
 
SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity
 
October 31
 
Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
 
 
Ends/Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:30
NNNN
Today's Press Releases  

Attachment