HSBC profits fall 3.8 pct in Q2, Brazil sell-off agreed on

HSBC announced on Monday that its net profit fell 3.8 percent in the first three months to June, as the company agreed to sell its Brazilian business for $5.2 billion to Brazil's Banco Bradesco. Europe's biggest bank announced in June that it would cut its global workforce by up to 50,000 as it exits Brazil and Turkey. The moves come as HSBC tries to boost profits and move past recent scandals, including the rigging of foreign exchange markets. Two weeks ago, Reuters reported HSBC is set to agree to sell its Turkish business to Dutch lender ING Group for around $700-$750 million. ING, which already has a presence in Turkey, was one of three banks to submit a non-binding bid in May, sources previously told Reuters. The others were Bahrain's Arab Banking Corp. and France's BNP Paribas. HSBC declined to comment, however.

In the first half of 2015, net profit dropped 1.3 percent, although the company emphasized a rise in pre-tax profits, which went up 10 percent over six months. Quarterly profit fell to $4.36 billion from $4.54 billion in the same period last year, while the half-yearly figure fell from $9.746 billion to $9.618 billion.

"The environment for banking remains challenging," said group chairman Douglas Flint, but added that the bank still held a "privileged position" in global trade and investment. "We have the financial strength and the right people at all levels of the firm to make the most of the opportunities open to us," Flint added.

HSBC confirmed the Brazil sale in a separate statement to the Hong Kong exchange. "The sale of HSBC Brazil represents a significant step in HSBC's stated goal to optimize its global network and reduce complexity," the statement said. CEO Stuart Gulliver added: "I am pleased to be able to announce today a transaction [that] achieves both a solid financial outcome and swift delivery of one of our stated actions." Shares in the banking group traded flat on the Hong Kong exchange by the midday break at HK$69.7 ($8.99).