Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account
***************************************************************
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (May 29) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,354.0 billion as at April 30, 2026, HK$11.7 billion higher than that at the end of March 2026. Foreign currency assets increased by HK$95.8 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$84.1 billion.
The rise in foreign currency assets was mainly due to interest income and mark-to-market revaluation of investments, and an increase in the month-end balances of unsettled purchase of securities. The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the decrease in Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued but not yet settled at month end.
The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of April 2026 was HK$2,072.2 billion, grew by HK$7.2 billion, or 0.4%, from the end of March 2026. The growth was mainly due to the increase in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness and the market value of Exchange Fund Bills and Notes outstanding.
The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$9.7 billion, or 0.4%, to HK$2,309.8 billion at the end of April 2026. The increase was mainly attributable to interest income from investments and the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness, which were partly offset by mark-to-market revaluation of investments. The Backing Ratio increased from 111.39% at the end of March 2026 to 111.47% at the end of April 2026.
****************************************************************
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 May 2026, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
| May 7 (Issued) |
SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) |
| May 14 (Issued) |
SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) |
| May 29 | SDDS Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity |
| May 29 | Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account |
Ends/Friday, May 29, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:30
Issued at HKT 16:30
NNNN