HSBC (HSBC, $41.36) misses 2018 expectations, gears up for 2019
London headquartered HSBC, Europe’s largest bank, recently published its full-year report revealing several forecast misses primarily due to a challenging fourth quarter.
The bank’s pre-tax profit for 2018 stood at $19.89 billion, 15.9% higher than the previous year, versus a forecast of a 23.8% jump to $21.26 billion. Reported revenue was 4.5% higher than 2017 to $53.78 billion versus a forecast of 6.28% higher to $54.674 billion.
Other financial metrics include: Net interest margin, a measure of lending profitability, stood at 1.66% as of December 31, 2018 – higher than the 1.63% seen in 2017; earnings per share for 2018 was $0.63 compared to $0.48 in 2017; and common equity tier 1 ratio — a proportion of the bank's core capital to assets — as on December 31 2018 stood at 14 % compared to 14.5% at end-2017. The bank’s Hong Kong listed shares also fell by 2% on Tuesday. It also missed its positive revenue ‘jaws’ target for 2018 recorded at minus 1.2%.
Despite these results, the bank’s CFO is satisfied, as the last quarter was particularly challenging which led to trading revenue losses in many banking groups. He is optimistic for 2019 as the bank is well-prepared for any outcome related to Brexit, and is yet to experience any dramatic slowdown in its business in China as a result of trade disputes between Washington and Beijing. However, wealth management strategists consider exactly these factors to become headwinds for the bank ahead in the market.
HSBC in -0.65% downward trend, falling for three consecutive days on October 20, 2025
Moving lower for three straight days is viewed as a bearish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future declines. Considering data from situations where HSBC declined for three days, in of 220 cases, the price declined further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for HSBC moved out of overbought territory on October 07, 2025. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 48 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for HSBC turned negative on October 03, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 39 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 39 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
HSBC moved below its 50-day moving average on October 10, 2025 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for HSBC crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on October 21, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 17 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. of 49 cases where HSBC's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 24, 2025. You may want to consider a long position or call options on HSBC as a result. In of 81 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where HSBC advanced for three days, in of 352 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
HSBC may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 380 cases where HSBC Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 26, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. HSBC’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.196) is normal, around the industry mean (1.317). P/E Ratio (13.267) is within average values for comparable stocks, (12.091). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.310) is also within normal values, averaging (4.545). Dividend Yield (0.049) settles around the average of (0.042) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.488) is also within normal values, averaging (3.421).
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
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a major bank
Industry MajorBanks
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