HSBC's Ping An exit draws questions about BoCom stake

HSBCs stake in Bank of Communications BoCom is now at the centre of attention as the British bank’s proposed sale of its stake in Ping An Insurance is fuelling speculation about the future of other non-core assets.

The consensus among analysts is that HSBC will not and should not sell its 19.9% stake in China’s fifth-biggest bank. “HSBC cooperates more with BoCom compared to Ping An,” said Steven Chan, an analyst at Citic Securities International, who is confident that HSBC will hold on to its stake, “even though BoCom’s return on investment is probably at the same level as Ping An’s”.

HSBC’s...