HSBC Holds HKD Prime Rate at 5%

HSBC's decision to hold its prime rate signals that Hong Kong banks are not yet ready to ease borrowing costs, even as global rate expectations shift. For mortgage holders and corporates, the wait continues, and the pass-through to other lenders is likely, given HSBC's benchmark role. The key question is whether funding pressures or external rate moves force a change in the coming months, and how other banks respond.