Investment accounts
Adult accounts
Child accounts
Choosing Fidelity
Choosing Fidelity
Why invest with us Current offers Fees and charges Open an account Transfer investments
Financial advice & support
Fidelity’s Services
Fidelity’s Services
Financial advice Retirement Wealth Management Investor Centre (London) Bereavement
Guidance and tools
Guidance and tools
Choosing investments Choosing accounts ISA calculator Retirement calculators
Share dealing
Choose your shares
Tools and information
Tools and information
Share prices and markets Chart and compare shares Stock market news Shareholder perks IPOs and placings
Pensions & retirement
Pensions, tax & tools
Saving for retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Speak to a specialist Creating a retirement plan Taking tax-free cash Pension drawdown Annuities Investing in retirement Investment Pathways
Canada govt approves $13bn sale of HSBC local unit to RBC
(Sharecast News) - The Canadian government has approved the $13.5bn takeover of HSBC Canada by RBC, allowing the sale to proceed despite calls for it to be blocked over fears of reduced competition in the sector. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland gave the deal the green light, the final stage in the process after Canada's Competition Bureau approved it in September.
The government's approval is conditional on none of HSBC Canada's 4,000 employees being fired within six months of the closing date, or two years for front-line staff, and that banking services continue to be provided at a minimum of 33 HSBC branches for four years.
HSBC said the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024 and was committed to considering the payment of a special dividend of $0.21 per share as a priority use of the proceeds from this sale in the first half of 2024.
Canada's Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, said the government "should have supported competition in banking and mortgage lending by blocking the merger."
HSBC has more than 130 branches in Canada with 780,000 customers. Its is gradually reducing its global presence as part of a strategic pivot to focus on Asia.
"The reality is that HSBC Canada only has a market share of around 2%, and we cannot prioritize the investment needed to grow it further," said chief executive Noel Quinn.
Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
Share this article
Related Sharecast Articles
Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
Award-winning online share dealing
Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.
Expert insights into investing your money
Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.
Policies and important information
Accessibility | Conflicts of interest statement | Consumer Duty Target Market | Consumer Duty Value Assessment Statement | Cookie policy | Diversity and Inclusion | Doing Business with Fidelity | Fidelity gender pay report | Investing in Fidelity funds | Legal information | Modern slavery | Mutual respect policy | Privacy statement | Remuneration policy | Security | Statutory and Regulatory disclosures | Whistleblowing policy
Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance, the performance of investments is not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. When investments have particular tax features, these will depend on your personal circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. This website does not contain any personal recommendations for a particular course of action, service or product. You should regularly review your investment objectives and choices and, if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable for you, you should contact an authorised financial adviser. Before opening an account, please read the ‘Doing Business with Fidelity’ document which incorporates our client terms. Prior to investing into a fund, please read the relevant key information document which contains important information about the fund.
This website is issued by Financial Administration Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FCA Register number 122169) and registered in England and Wales under company number 1629709 whose registered address is Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 6RP.