10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015

10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBC)

HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC), incorporated on January 1, 1959, is a global banking and financial services organizations. As of December 31, 2012, it provided a range of financial services to around 58 million customers through four global businesses: Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Private Banking. Its international network covers 81 countries and territories in six geographical regions; Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, North America and Latin America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had an international network of some 6,600 offices in 81 countries and territories in six geographical regions; Europe, Hong Kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), North America and Latin America. On May 20, 2012, HSBC Holdings PLC's wholly owned subsidiary HSBC Bank USA, N.A. and other wholly owned subsidiaries, sold 195 retail branches to First Niagara Bank, N.A. (First Niagara). In May 2012, the Companys 70.03% owned subsidiary, HSBC Bank Malta plc, sold its card acquiring business to HSBC Merchant Services Ltd. In June 2012, the Companys indirect wholly owned subsidiary, HSBC Iris Investments (Mauritius) Ltd, sold its 4.73% interest in Axis Bank Limited and 4.74% interest in Yes Bank Limited. In July 2012, its subsidiary, HSBC Europe (Netherlands B.V.), sold its 100% interest in HSBC Credit Zrt, to CentralFund Kockazati Tokealap. On March 31, 2013, Enstar Group Ltds subsidiary completed the acquisition from Household Insurance Group Holding Company of HSBC Insurance Company of Delaware and Household Life Insurance Company of Delaware, as well as its three subsidiary insurers.

The Companys principal banking operations in Europe are HSBC Bank plc in the UK, HSBC France, HSBC Bank A.S. in Turkey, HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA and HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG. Thro! ugh these subsid iaries it provides a range of banking, treasury and financia! l services to personal, commercial and corporate customers across Europe. HSBCs banking subsidiaries in Hong Kong are The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Hang Seng Bank Limited.

The Company offers a range of banking and financial services in the Peoples Republic of China, mainly through its local subsidiary, HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited. It also participates indirectly in mainland China through its primary associate, Bank of Communications. Outside mainland China, it conducts business in 21 countries and territories in the Rest of Asia-Pacific region, primarily through branches and subsidiaries of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

In the Middle East, the Company has network of branches of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, together with HSBCs subsidiaries and associates. Its North American businesses are located in the United States, Canada and Bermuda. Operations in the United States are conducted throug h HSBC Bank USA, N.A., and HSBC Finance, a national consumer finance company based near Chicago. HSBC Markets (USA) Inc. is the intermediate holding company of, inter alia, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. HSBC Bank Canada and HSBC Bank Bermuda operate in their respective countries.

The Companys operations in Latin America consists of HSBC Bank Brasil S.A.-Banco Multiplo, HSBC Mexico, S.A., HSBC Bank Argentina S.A. and HSBC Bank (Panama) S.A. In addition to banking services, it operates insurance businesses in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Panama and a range of smaller markets.

Retail Banking and Wealth Management

Retail Banking and Wealth Management (RBWM) take deposits and provide transactional banking services to enable customers to manage their day-to-day finances and save for the future. It offers credit facilities to assist customers in their short or longer-term borrowing requirements; and we provide financial advisory, br! oking, in! su rance and investment services to help them to manage and pro! tect thei! r financial futures. It develops products designed to meet the needs of specific customer segments, which may include a range of different services and delivery channels. Its customer offerings include deposits and account services; credit and lending, both secured and unsecured, and financial advisory, broking, life insurance manufacturing and asset management.

The Company offers services through four principal channels: branches, self-service terminals, telephone service centres and digital (Internet and mobile). Customers can transact with the bank through a combination of these channels. Its offers include HSBC Premier, HSBC Advance, Wealth Solutions & Financial Planning and Basic Banking. HSBC Premier provide preferential banking services and global recognition to its mass affluent customers and their immediate families. Customers can access emergency travel assistance, priority telephone banking and an online global view of their Premier accounts around th e world. HSBC Advance provides a range of preferential products and services to simplify the banking needs of customers and to help them manage and plan their money to achieve their financial goals and ambitions. Wealth Solutions & Financial Planningis a financial planning process designed around individual customer needs to help its clients to protect, grow and manage their wealth through investment and wealth insurance products manufactured by Global Asset Management, Global Markets and HSBC Insurance and by selected third-party providers. Basic Banking provides banking products and services using global product platforms and globally set service standards.

Commercial Banking

The Company segments its Commercial Banking Business (CMB) into Corporate, to serve both Corporate and Mid-Market companies, and Business Banking, to serve the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector. It provides support to companies as they expa! nd both d! omesti cally and internationally, and ensures a focus on the busine! ss bankin! g segments. It offers a range of financing, both domestic and cross-border, including overdrafts, receivables finance, term loans and syndicated, leveraged, acquisition and project finance. Asset finance is offered in selected sites. The Company provides the services and finance its clients need throughout the trade cycle including; letters of credit, collections, guarantees; receivables finance; supply chain solutions; commodity and structured finance; and risk distribution. HSBC is supporting the development of renminbi as a trade currency, with renminbi capabilities in more than 50 markets. It is a provider of domestic and cross-border payments, collections, liquidity management and account services offering local, regional and global solutions delivered through e-enabled platforms designed to address the current and future needs of its clients. The Company offers business and financial protection, trade insurance, employee benefits, corporate wealth management and a vari ety of other commercial risk insurance products in selected countries.

Global Banking and Markets

Global Banking and Markets (GB&M) provides tailored financial solutions to government, corporate and institutional clients and private investors globally. Managed as a global business, GB&M operates a long-term relationship management approach to build a understanding of clients financial requirements. Sector-focused client service teams consisting of relationship managers and product specialists develop financial solutions to meet individual client needs. GB&M is managed as two principal business lines: Global Markets, and Global Banking.

Global Markets operations consist of treasury and capital markets services. Products include foreign exchange; currency, interest rate, bond, credit, equity and other derivatives; government and non-government fixed income and money market instruments; precious metals and exchan! ge-traded! futures; equ ity services; distribution of capital markets instruments, a! nd securi! ties services, including custody and clearing services and funds administration to both domestic and cross-border investors. Global Banking offers financing, advisory and transaction services. Its products include capital raising, advisory services, bilateral and syndicated lending, leveraged and acquisition finance, structured and project finance, lease finance and non-retail deposit taking; international, regional and domestic payments and cash management services; and trade services for corporate clients.

Global Private Banking

Global Private Banking (GPB) provides investment management and trustee solutions to high net worth individuals and their families globally. Private Banking services consists of multicurrency and fiduciary deposits, account services, and credit and specialist lending. GPB also accesses HSBCs universal banking capabilities to offer products and services such as credit cards, Internet banking, and corporate and investmen t banking solutions. Investment Management comprises advisory and discretionary investment services, as well as brokerage across asset classes. This includes a range of investment vehicles, portfolio management, security services and alternatives. Private Trust Solutions comprise trusts and estate planning, designed to protect wealth and preserve it for future generations through structures tailored to meet the individual needs of each client.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sara Sjolin]

  Banks rose, with shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (UK:RBS) (RBS) up 0.8%, Barclays PLC (UK:BARC) (BCS) rising 0.4% and sector heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC (UK:HSBA) ! ! (HSBC) (HK:5) 0.3% higher.

• [By fedezaldua]

  Indeed, BBVA sells at a similar valuation level but pays a much lower cash yield BBVA is expected to pay a 4% cash dividend yield in 2014. BBVA trades at 2014 150% tangible book value and 18 times earnings. While you can always acquire a solid international banking institution such as HSBC (HSBC), which pays a 4% cash yield and sells for a significantly lower valuation than both Santander and BBVA, it's nearly impossible in today's market to buy an international banking institution that would pay you a 9% cash dividend yield.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government-controlled mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said Thursday they will pay U.S. taxpayers $6.8 billion after reporting a third-quarter profits that modestly rose from the second quarter. Once they have made the latest payments in December, the two companies will have returned $225.5 billion to taxpayers in exchange for about $188 billion in taxpayer aid they received after being placed under the government's wing at the height of the financial crisis. Fannie Mae, the bigger of the two and the nation's largest source of mortgage funds, earned a net income of $3.9 billion in the third quarter, up from $3.7 billion in the second quarter. The increase was driven by higher net interest income, an increasing portion of which is derived from guaranty fees, and about $1.2 billion in settlement payments from Goldman Sachs (GS) and HSBC (HSBC) related to Fannie's investments in private-label mortgage securities sold by the two banks before the credit crisis. Slowing home-price appreciation was a drag on Fannie's profit growth. Based on its own home price index, Fannie estimated that U.S. home prices increased just 1.2 percent in the third quarter and! are up j! ust 5.3 percent in the year to date, after gaining 8.2 percent in 2013. On a year-over-year basis, Fannie's net income was down from $8.7 billion a year earlier. Freddie Mac, meanwhile, generated net income of $2.1 billion versus $1.4 billion in the second quarter. Like Fannie, Freddie also posted higher net interest income and benefited from $1.2 billion in legal settlements in the same litigation, which had been brought by the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates both companies. Freddie's profit fell dramatically from a year earlier, when one-time tax benefits drove its net income to nearly $30.5 billion. Neither Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac lends money directly to home buyers. Rather, the two companies buy mortgages from le

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-information-technology-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html