We’ve agreed to sell our banking operations in Argentina to Grupo Financiero Galicia – the largest private financial group in Argentina.

The deal is worth US$550m, subject to certain price adjustments, and is expected to be completed within the next 12 months.

As a result of the deal:

  • A US$1.0bn pre-tax loss on disposal will be recognised in 1Q24
  • There will be an insignificant impact on the Group’s common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio by closing
  • At closing, c.US$4.9bn of historical cumulative foreign currency translation reserve losses will be recognised in the income statement – these have already been recognised in capital and will have no impact on CET1 or tangible net asset value
  • The transaction will be treated as a material notable item and excluded from the dividend payout calculation

Chief executive’s view

“We are pleased to agree the sale of HSBC Argentina. This transaction is another important step in the execution of our strategy and enables us to focus our resources on higher value opportunities across our international network,” said Noel Quinn, HSBC Group Chief Executive.

“HSBC Argentina is largely a domestically focused business, with limited connectivity to the rest of our international network. Furthermore, given its size, it also generates substantial earnings volatility for the Group when its results are translated into US dollars. Galicia is better placed to invest in and grow the business.

“We remain committed to Mexico and the US, and to serving our international clients throughout our global network with our leading transaction banking capabilities.”

Read more in our stock exchange announcement (PDF 123KB)