--%>

Commercial Banking Assignment

Part I

Guidelines and requirements: The questions in Part I of this assignment are based on the materials covered in Units 1 and 2. Please write a short-essay answer to each question.

Question 1

You have just been hired as a branch manager for a large bank in Hong Kong. You were told that the bank is going to open a new branch at the Island Learning Centre of the Open University of Hong Kong in Sheung Wan. The management of the bank is concerned that the new branch may not be able to attract enough customers to meet its profit projection. Your task is to recommend the various services the bank should offer initially to build an adequate customer base. The following is a list of the services the branch could offer:

  • current accounts
  • savings deposits
  • security underwriting
  • personal trust management services
  • retirement savings plans
  • venture capital loans
  • plant and equipment loans
  • automobile loans
  • residential real estate loans
  • home improvement loans.

a List five types of information you will need about the local community to help you decide which of many possible services are likely to have sufficient demand to make them profitable. Explain

your answer briefly. b Divide the possible services into two groups: those you think should be offered opening day and those you believe can be offered later as bank grows. Explain your answer. 2 FIN B381 Commercial Banking

 

Question 2

For a better understanding of banking industry, it is important to look at the environment in which commercial banks operate. Production expansion and globalization are two major forces reshaping the banking industry today. The following two questions are related to these two issues. a Describe one of the new banking services offered to customers by many local banks. Discuss the potential benefits and challenges to these banks that are brought about by the introduction of this new service. (15 marks)

b Hong Kong is an international financial centre and many foreign banks want to establish their presence in the city. In view of public welfare, should the government impose more restrictions against? the entry of foreign banks into Hong Kong? Explain the rationale behind your answer. 

Part II

Guidelines and requirements: There is only one question in this part. The question is designed to provide a platform not only to show that you know and understand the material, but that you can use it to analyse situations. Therefore, your answer will be graded on the basis of completeness, justification and presentation skill. So be sure you keep these criteria in mind as you prepare your answers. Good luck!

 

Question 3

Read the article 'Back in expansion mode' on the following pages and answer the following questions:

a List out five business areas that local banks are turning to in search of profits. Describe each business area briefly and evaluate the prospect of growth in each area critically.

b In the article, Monica Ng, Assurance Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Hong Kong said, 'the smaller banks are at risk of losing out to their larger counterparts.' Please explain the challenges faced by smaller banks and suggest way to overcome these challenges. 

   Related Questions in Corporate Finance

  • Q : Strategy of Bear Spread State when

    State when markets are anticipated to go down then what is the Strategy of Bear Spread?

  • Q : Which method must use to valuate young

    Which method must we use to valuate young companies along with high growth but uncertain futures? Two illustrations were Boston Chicken and Telepizza while they began.

  • Q : Affect the value of the stock Is the

     Is the value of this stock dependent on how long you plan to hold it? In other words, if your planned holding period were 2 years or 5 years rather than 3 years, would this affect the value of the stock today, P0? Explain your answer.<

  • Q : Problem on Corp stocking Cheever Corp

    Cheever Corp stock is selling at $40 a share. Its dividend in subsequent year will be $2 a share and its β is 1.25. Crane Company has similar growth rate as Cheever. The current stock price of Crane is $55 a share, and its dividend this year is $3. The riskless r

  • Q : Financial statements The concept of

    The concept of conservatism has been influential in the development of accounting theory and practice.  A major effect of conservatism is that accountants tend to recognize losses but not gains.  For example, when the value of an asset is impaired, it is wri

  • Q : Explain breakthroughs on

    Explain breakthroughs on low-discrepancy sequences.

  • Q : Long-Term Financing Needed Long-Term

    Long-Term Financing Needed : - At year-end 2012, total assets for Ambrose Inc. were $1.2 million and accounts payable were $375,000. Sales, which in 2012 were $2.5 million, are expected to increase by 25% in 2013. Total ass

  • Q : Provide three examples of mutually

    provide three examples of mutually exclusive projects?

  • Q : Types of agency Types of agency :

    Types of agency: Specific types of Agency include:A) Auctioneers: Are an agent of vendor until the fall of the hammer when they become an agent for the purchaser.B)

    Q : Explain investment of bank for

    When my company is not listed, therefore the investment banks apply an illiquidity premium. In fact, they say this is an illiquidity premium but then they call this a small cap premium. Only one of the banks, apparently based upon Tit