HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI RANK REPORT.
One of the features of the annual report and balanee-sheet of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation is the manner in which the figures have been affected by the fluctuations in the price of silver. Averaging over the whole year silver has, of course, been abnormally low, with an adverse effect upon profits. . On the other hand, the recovery in the metal at the end of the year affected the balance- sheet favourably. The actual currency profit for last year was 16,469,000 dollars, against 20,726,730 -dollars for the previous year. Owing, however, to the vagaries of exchange the interim dividend at £3 cost the bank 9,216,000 dollars, against 7,482,258 dollars a year previously. However, in the final dividend matters were levelled up as the cost was then only 6,678,000 dollars.
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