Finance
‘Hong Kong is an ideal option for foreign investment despite market pressures’
Hong Kong remains one of the “most ideal options” for international investment despite pressure on capital markets, the finance chief has said, pointing to an ongoing net-inflow of funds into the city.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po struck the upbeat note on his weekly blog on Sunday, ahead of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which he will be attending.
“It is true that in the face of the global high interest rate environment and multiple external adverse factors, Hong Kong’s asset market has been under pressure in the past year,” Chan said.
“However, it is also true that investment opportunities have become more attractive, and many funds are waiting for chances to look for investment opportunities.”
In the first 11 months of 2023, total deposits reached HK$16 trillion (US$2.04 trillion), a year-on-year increase of 4.1 per cent, of which deposits in Hong Kong dollars rose by 1.7 per cent year-on-year to HK$7.6 trillion, Chan added.
Taken together with preliminary figures from December, the minister said the total growth in deposits last year was expected to reach 5 per cent.
“The figures reflect that between entry and exit, funds are still in a state of ‘net inflow’,” he said.
Hong Kong may take ‘year or two’ extra to achieve budget surplus, Paul Chan says
Hong Kong may take ‘year or two’ extra to achieve budget surplus, Paul Chan says
Chan’s positive assessment comes amid a four-year slump in the city’s stock markets, and wider economic malaise despite earlier hopes of a post-pandemic rebound.
The Hang Seng Index was down about 13.8 per cent in 2023, according to its year-end report, marking its fourth straight year of decline. It also had its worst start to the year since 2016, as a slowdown in mainland China’s growth and longer than expected policy tightening in the US continued to dent sentiment.
Housing prices have also fallen to their lowest in seven years, down about 20.6 per cent from the market’s peak in September 2021, as the city’s slowing economy and high interest rates undercut demand.
Buyers opt for cheaper homes in Hong Kong’s first 2024 weekend sales
Buyers opt for cheaper homes in Hong Kong’s first 2024 weekend sales
But Chan said international investors sought out the most “cost-effective return opportunities” and thus were not focused on “past numbers”, but rather “potential for future growth”.
“Many international investors who are familiar with the Hong Kong market agree that the city is one of the most ideal options,” he said.
The finance chief added that there were “great advantages” in Hong Kong’s wealth management sector, pointing to a 2023 report by US-based Boston Consulting Group which estimated that the city would experience a 7.6 per cent growth rate in the industry between 2022 and 2027.
He also highlighted efforts to diversify the city’s economy, including the “vigorous promotion” of innovation and technology industries, including in artificial intelligence, data science and biomedicine.
900 technology companies drawn to Hong Kong amid city’s innovation drive
900 technology companies drawn to Hong Kong amid city’s innovation drive
Chan said he would introduce and promote the city’s developments while attending the summit in Davos this week.
The summit is an annual event which brings together public officials, business leaders and civil society groups from around the world. This year’s meeting runs from January 15 to 19 under the theme of “Rebuilding Trust”.
“I hope that everyone will strengthen cooperation and achieve better economic growth together,” Chan said.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah will join parts of the summit, along with Airport Authority chairman Jack So Chak-kwong, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing chairwoman Laura Cha Shih May-lung and MTR Corporation CEO Jacob Kam Chak-pui.
PA MediaScotland’s finance secretary has asked for a meeting and assurances from the chancellor over speculation she will raise income tax in her Budget.
Such a move, which Rachel Reeves refused to rule out last week, would lead to an automatic deduction from Scotland’s funding from the Treasury.
Shona Robison said Labour should ditch “outdated” fiscal rules which include making sure day-to-day spending is funded by tax revenues.
The Treasury said it would not comment on speculation but claimed its previous “record settlement” for Scotland meant it receives 20% more funding per head of population than the rest of the UK.
In an unusual pre-Budget speech in Downing Street last week, Reeves said she would make “necessary choices” in her tax and spending plans later this month after the world had “thrown more challenges our way”.
She did not rule out a U-turn on Labour’s general election manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance, leading to speculation that a tax rise is on the way.
Any increase in income tax by the UK government could see a fall in the block grant Scotland receives from Westminster as a result of a funding agreement called the Block Grant Adjustment.
The Fraser of Allander Institute has estimated a 2p rise in the basic rate of tax elsewhere in the UK could cut Scotland’s budget by up £1bn, unless the Scottish government matches the increase with its own tax rise.
Robison said the chancellor’s speech had “piled uncertainty on uncertainty” and that she had requested an “urgent meeting” where she would set out three tests.
These are:
- The chancellor “ditch her outdated, restricted fiscal rules” and faces up to a “new reality”.
- All money raised from tax increases is invested in public services, meaning the block grant also increases as a result
- Confirmation that Scotland will not see a cut in funding
She said: “They came to office promising an end to austerity, so to impose it on Scotland would be a political betrayal from which Labour would never recover.”
Getty ImagesIncome tax in Scotland
Ahead of the last general election First Minister John Swinney urged the next UK government to replicate Scotland’s devolved taxation system where higher earners pay more in tax.
People living in Scotland earning below about £30,300 pay slightly less income tax than they would elsewhere in the UK, with a maximum saving of about £28.
Above that threshold they pay increasingly more as earnings increase. Someone on £50,000 in Scotland pays £1,528 more than they would in the rest of the UK. That rises to £5,207 for someone on £125,000.
Swinney recently said he had no plans to make any further changes to taxation in Scotland ahead of next May’s Holyrood election.
However, following the chancellor’s speech last week he has now declined to rule this out.
What is the Treasury saying?
The Treasury said it could not comment on the chancellor’s plans ahead of her Budget, but it said she had outlined the global and long term economic challenges that would influence her decisions.
A spokesperson said: “Our record funding settlement for Scotland will mean over 20% more funding per head than the rest of the UK.
“We have also confirmed £8.3bn in funding for GB Energy-Nuclear and GB Energy in Aberdeen, up to £750m for a new supercomputer at Edinburgh University, and are investing £452m over four years for City and Growth Deals across Scotland.
“This investment is all possible because our fiscal rules are non-negotiable, they are the basis of the stability which underpins growth.”
Why would a UK tax hike cut Scotland’s budget?
A change to UK income tax would apply directly to residents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – but it could also have an impact on Scottish taxpayers.
When the devolved government in Scotland was given more tax raising powers nearly a decade ago, an agreement called the Fiscal Framework was agreed setting out how the new system would work.
Part of that was something called the Block Grant Adjustment (BGA) which meant the funding Holyrood receives from Westminster was reduced to take into the account money the Scottish government was now able to raise directly.
The BGA was intended to stop either government being better or worse off due to devolution.
It means the UK government is able to deduct funds from the block grant that it estimates it would have received if tax-raising powers were not devolved.
If the chancellor raises income tax, the BGA will also change.
Scotland will then have to generate more tax revenue or cut public spending in order to avoid a budget shortfall.
The Scottish Budget will be announced on 13 January.
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Twenty-six million dollars. That’s how much investing platform Robinhood paid out earlier this year after it was found to have breached a range of financial regulations. Amongst them? Failure to properly manage the social media influencers promoting their products. With these so-called “finfluencers” becoming an ubiquitous part of fintech marketing strategies, this eye-watering penalty should serve as a cautionary tale to brands putting content and reach above compliance and risk.
The world of the finfluencers has expanded dramatically in recent years. These young, passionate and social media savvy voices amass legions of fans and millions of views as they dole out advice on everything from stock tips to savings techniques. The main audience? Gen Z. Facing the dual pressures of a tough job market and the spiralling cost of living, Gen Zs are turning to social media for new routes to financial stability — hungry for insights and advice that will help them get ahead. With a huge 34% of Gen Zs saying they learn about personal finance from TikTok and YouTube, finfluencers have exploded in number, reach and power.
Acquiring Gen Z customers is a huge priority for marketing teams. In the world of financial products, customers are sticky. Get them young and you might have a customer for life. That’s why the rise of finfluencers represents a huge opportunity for companies operating across the finance, investment and savings space. And it’s one they’ve been tapping into.
On the surface, engaging finfluencers for paid partnership is a marketing slam duck for fintech and finance brands. Unlocking a route into Gen Z audiences via trusted, engaging voices. But, as Robinhood’s experience shows, the stakes are high when you get it wrong. Any company selling financial products or services is subject to a litany of regulation. And these high standards of compliance aren’t necessarily compatible with the fast-paced, algorithm-chasing game of social media content creation. It’s a conundrum that’s starting to trip brands up.
Alongside Robinhood, this year has also seen Public Investing fined $350k by the US regulator FINRA after influencers made misleading claims. And a recent crackdown from the UK’s financial regulator, the FCA, saw three individual finfluencers end up in court charged with encouraging high-risk strategies without the correct authorisation. Brands and the influencers they rely on are sailing far too close to the wind.
And this risk-reward matrix is only set to become more intense. The use of AI tooling in marketing is speeding up content creation and enabling thousands of iterations of adverts to run simultaneously. And brands are increasingly upping the percentage of marketing budget allocated to social media. Collectively, this is encouraging faster, more dynamic social strategies, with influencers forming a critical part. It’s putting marketers on a potential collision course with regulators cracking down on violations.
Companies leveraging social media partnership with a view to reaching Gen Z customers cannot afford to overlook this reality. From eye-watering fines to a tarnished brand, the implications of getting your social marketing wrong are severe.
But that doesn’t mean brands can’t play in this space. They just need to be smart about it.
Businesses swimming in this pool need to ensure they aren’t sidelining the compliance and risk management strategies that will keep them on the right side of regulation. This cannot be an afterthought. Marketing teams must invest in tooling, work closely with legal teams, and run stress tests on campaigns to ensure they are watertight.
Regulators are coming for finfluencers and the businesses that work with them. Companies should heed the warning and not let their quest for young, digitally-savvy customers rush them into an approach which could see them break the law and sink their finances. Instead, the same level of zeal applied to the creative should be applied to the compliance. They are two sides of the same coin. Combined, they’ll allow companies to cash in.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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