HSBC 2003 Annual Report Download - page 2

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
Table of Contents
Page
Certain Defined Terms ................................... below
Financial Highlights................................................1
Five-Year Comparison............................................3
Cautionary Statement Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements ............................5
Information about the Enforceability of
Judgements Made in the United States .............6
Exchange Controls and Other Limitations
Affecting Equity Security Holders.....................6
Description of Business...........................................7
Regulation and Supervision .................................30
Description of Property ........................................35
Legal Proceedings .................................................35
Financial Review ...................................................36
Other Information...............................................177
Page
Board of Directors and Senior Management ... 184
Report of the Directors ...................................... 189
Directors’ Remuneration Report ...................... 213
Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities in
Relation to Financial Statements .................. 230
Independent Auditors’ Report .......................... 231
Financial Statements .......................................... 233
Notes on the Financial Statements .................... 239
Taxation of Shares and Dividends .................... 367
Shareholder Information ................................... 370
Organisational Structure ................................... 375
Glossary............................................................... 376
Index.................................................................... 377
Certain Defined Terms
Unless the context requires otherwise, ‘HSBC
Holdings’ means HSBC Holdings plc and ‘HSBC’ or
the ‘Group’ means HSBC Holdings together with its
subsidiary undertakings. Within this document the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the
People’s Republic of China is referred to as ‘Hong
Kong’ .
This document comprises the Annual Report and Accounts 2003 for HSBC Holdings plc and its subsidiary and associated undertakings. It
contains the Directors’ Report and Financial Statements, together with the Auditors’ Report thereon, as required by the UK Companies
Act 1985. The Annual Review 2003 of HSBC Holdings plc is published as a separate document.