HSBC Reports Strong 2023 Profit Exceeding Expectations
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy MORN?
Source: CNBC
- Annual Profit Performance: HSBC reported a pre-tax profit of $29.91 billion for 2023, surpassing market expectations of $28.86 billion, despite a 7.4% decline in annual profit, with a 4% year-on-year revenue increase indicating strong performance in its wealth division and Hong Kong operations.
- Quarterly Profit Growth: The bank's fourth-quarter pre-tax profit reached $6.8 billion, up $4.5 billion from the previous year, primarily due to favorable one-off items linked to business disposals, demonstrating resilience amid market fluctuations.
- Future Profitability Goals: HSBC aims to achieve a return on average tangible equity of 17% or more between 2026 and 2028, reflecting confidence in future profitability while continuing to drive strong growth across all business segments.
- Personnel and Compensation Adjustments: HSBC is transitioning to a more performance-driven compensation model, planning to cut underperforming employees in the upcoming bonus round, aiming to enhance overall operational efficiency and achieve cost savings.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy MORN?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on MORN
Wall Street analysts forecast MORN stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 156.900
Low
250.00
Averages
285.00
High
320.00
Current: 156.900
Low
250.00
Averages
285.00
High
320.00
About MORN
Morningstar, Inc. is a provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Its segments include Morningstar Data and Analytics, PitchBook, Morningstar Wealth, Morningstar Credit, and Morningstar Retirement. The Morningstar Data and Analytics segment provides investors comprehensive data, research and insights, and investment analysis to empower investment decision-making. The PitchBook segment provides investors with access to a broad collection of data and research covering the private capital markets. Morningstar Wealth segment brings together its model portfolios and wealth platform; practice and portfolio management software for registered investment advisers; data aggregation and enrichment capabilities; and others. Morningstar Credit segment provides investors with credit ratings, research, data, and credit analytics solutions. The Morningstar Retirement segment offers products designed to help individuals reach their retirement goals.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Annual Profit Performance: HSBC reported a pre-tax profit of $29.91 billion for 2023, surpassing market expectations of $28.86 billion, despite a 7.4% decline in annual profit, with a 4% year-on-year revenue increase indicating strong performance in its wealth division and Hong Kong operations.
- Quarterly Profit Growth: The bank's fourth-quarter pre-tax profit reached $6.8 billion, up $4.5 billion from the previous year, primarily due to favorable one-off items linked to business disposals, demonstrating resilience amid market fluctuations.
- Future Profitability Goals: HSBC aims to achieve a return on average tangible equity of 17% or more between 2026 and 2028, reflecting confidence in future profitability while continuing to drive strong growth across all business segments.
- Personnel and Compensation Adjustments: HSBC is transitioning to a more performance-driven compensation model, planning to cut underperforming employees in the upcoming bonus round, aiming to enhance overall operational efficiency and achieve cost savings.
See More
- Latin American E-commerce Leader: MercadoLibre is projected to achieve nearly $29 billion in revenue by 2025, marking a 38% year-over-year increase, primarily driven by growth in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, highlighting its strong potential in the Latin American e-commerce market.
- Chinese E-commerce Giant: Alibaba's cloud computing segment generated $5.6 billion in revenue for the September quarter, up 34% year-over-year, and its advancements in artificial intelligence are expected to capture significant market share in the future.
- Uber's Long-Term Growth: Despite a 25% drop in Uber's stock since late last year, analysts anticipate steady revenue and profit growth, reflecting a rising demand for outsourced transportation and delivery services that could drive future expansion.
- Autonomous Driving Market Outlook: Uber's CEO predicts the robotaxi market could become a trillion-dollar industry, and while facing high technology costs, the ability to operate without human drivers is expected to lead to long-term profitability.
See More
- Leadership Change: Morningstar has appointed Scott Brown as President of Direct Platform effective March 2, 2026, overseeing the company's largest business segment, which is expected to drive growth for core products like Morningstar Direct and Direct Advisory Suite, thereby strengthening the company's market position.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Brown brings over 20 years of experience from Experian, where he managed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and drove AI-enabled product innovations, particularly the rapid adoption of the Ascend platform, showcasing his deep expertise in data platforms and technology innovation.
- Strategic Vision: Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor stated that Brown's appointment will enhance the company's ability to innovate in response to the surging demand for data and research content, indicating a strategic focus on asset and wealth management.
- Future Development Plans: Brown aims to build on the existing foundation to enhance platform capabilities and accelerate product enhancements to meet client needs in increasingly complex markets, further driving Morningstar's competitive advantage in the global investment landscape.
See More
- Fan Ownership: Pro football fans may unknowingly own a piece of their favorite team, in addition to their season tickets and merchandise.
- Team Merchandise: Fans often invest in various team-related items, such as jerseys and stadium cushions, which enhance their connection to the team.
See More
- Emerging Lexicon: Individual investors need to adapt to a new vocabulary related to private investments as a new category of funds is being introduced.
- Access for Retail Clients: Financial advisors are now able to assist retail clients in investing in assets that were previously accessible mainly to institutional investors.
See More
- Price Volatility: The precious metals market is experiencing a rally in 2026, with gold futures up over 15% year-to-date and silver futures rising 10%, yet both faced severe turbulence on January 30, with gold contracts losing 11% and silver contracts plummeting 31%, indicating significant market instability.
- Portfolio Diversification: Gold is gaining popularity amid geopolitical shocks and inflation fears, with JPMorgan's analysis showing an average four-week return of 1.8% during major shocks, contrasting with a 1.6% average decline for stocks, highlighting gold's effectiveness in diversifying investments.
- Investment Method Selection: Investors can engage in the precious metals market through mining stocks, ETFs holding physical assets, or futures contracts, with each method affecting the risk profile of their portfolio; directly holding physical gold through ETFs is considered the most straightforward investment approach.
- Tax Complexity: The tax treatment of holding a precious metals ETF differs from that of a standard equity ETF, as selling a commodities ETF with physical assets may incur a 28% long-term capital gains tax, and funds holding futures contracts may require K-1 forms, complicating tax filing processes.
See More










